We want to wish Shepherd Express readers a very happy Thanksgiving. Although we’re facing so many challenges these days that can make us despair about the state of the world, we are grateful for all of the many wonderful aspects of our lives that we often overlook.
It may seem hard to be cheerful or thankful right now, given that we are witnessing terrorism around the world and violence in our own city. Even Pope Francis has said that Christmas celebrations this year are a “charade” because “the world is at war.” But we are confident that reason, generosity and compassion ultimately will triumph over fear and hostility. That’s why we are highlighting some of Milwaukee’s super volunteers in this week’s issue and we continue to honor Heroes of the Week throughout the year. We urge our readers to get involved in volunteering—or recommit themselves to volunteering—as a way of giving back to others and building a stronger, more compassionate community.
We’re also urging our readers and decision-makers to listen to reason about accepting refugees from Syria, one of the most dangerous places on earth. Contrary to the fear-mongering spread by some of our elected officials and presidential candidates, securing refugee status in the U.S. is a difficult and long process, which takes about 18 to 24 months and sometimes even longer. Applicants petition the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for refugee status and if accepted and directed toward the U.S. they are screened by a host of American agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State Department, which conduct interviews and background checks. Refugees from Syria undergo an extra screening process before they are allowed into the U.S. More than half of Syrian refugees admitted to the U.S. are children. How many terrorists do you think are going to be willing to spend two years in a refugee camp being interrogated by the U.S. military in hopes of getting into the U.S.?
This Thanksgiving, we ask our readers to show as much compassion to Syrian refugees as the members of the Wampanoag tribe showed the Pilgrims, who, like the Syrians seeking to come to the U.S., needed a safe haven from persecution in a far-off land.
