Re: Refugees

Oh, my, has there ever been some hateful rhetoric about allowing in Syrian refugees since that attack in Paris.  It's been even worse than a lot of the previous rhetoric on immigration.  And CNN suspended a reporter for a tweet criticizing the recent House vote.  (Oh gee, do you think they were upset that she - gasp - criticized the government ) ?

Anyway, it seems to me that we have a memory failure here:


Reminder Needed

We forget that we are a country of immigrants
That many hands of diverse ancestry built this country
And continue to do so
It seems we forget when someone whispers, "The terrorists are coming."

We forget things such as "Chinese Exclusion",  
The stain of Japanese incarceration,
Those against admitting Jewish refugees from the Holocaust
Have we not learned from our history?
But it seems we forget if someone intones, "The terror threat is high."

We forget that we face risks everyday
We forget that liberty should not be sacrificed for security
But it seems civil liberties and even common sense
Seem to be discarded if someone pronounces, "We just want to keep you safe."

We forget, but there's a certain statue in New York harbor
Which should be a reminder to us
She stands as a token of friendship and a becon of liberty
So will we stand with her?