Syrian refugees pose no more of a threat than tourists wanting to visit the Lincoln Memorial or go to the top of the Empire State Building, claims President Obama. Speaking to reporters with his usual impatience, Obama said Republicans are ginning up unsubstantiated fear when it comes to our new neighbors.
“The idea that somehow they pose a more significant threat than all the tourists who pour into the United States every single day just doesn’t jive with reality,” Mr. Obama said. “So my expectation is after the initial spasm of rhetoric, the people will settle down, take a look at the facts, and we’ll be able to proceed.”
In other words, the president thinks refugees are simply coming here to sightsee. Recent incidents prove otherwise. Americans' fear that some of the immigrants are secret terrorists was somewhat confirmed now that more than one terror suspect in last weekend’s attack in Paris reportedly entered Europe by posing as a Syrian refugee.
Thankfully, our leaders aren’t so naïve. A total of 34 states are now rejecting the White House’s refugee plan, which aims to bring in 100,000 refugees by 2017, choosing to place their citizens’ safety first.
As the influx of refugees into Europe continues, the continent can expect more than a rise in tourism revenue. For leaders like Viktor Orban, the president of Hungary, he predicts a much more dangerous outcome.
"For us today, what is at stake is Europe, the lifestyle of European citizens, European values, the survival or disappearance of European nations, and more precisely formulated, their transformation beyond recognition.
“Today, the question is not merely in what kind of a Europe we would like to live, but whether everything we understand as Europe will exist at all."
Tourists come to visit, take in the sights, then return home with their pictures and souvenirs. Refugees, on the other hand, are here to stay. People like Gov. Mike Huckabee worry about the influx, considering the refugees don’t understand our language or our culture. He suggested offering them safe havens, just not in the United States.
Meanwhile, Congress has introduced legislation that would halt the refugee program until a better vetting process can be established.
Obama has threatened to veto it.