Land of the Guarded, Home of the Scared

Refugees, surveillance, and terrorism: How we’re forgetting what this country was built on

The pilgrims set sail from Europe seeking religious freedom and new opportunity. They said they wouldn’t tolerate taxation without government representation. They got it. America was the melting pot of the world where every race and background came for freedom.

240 Years later from the time of the signing of the declaration of independence we have a refugee crisis, terrorist attacks on our soil along with other countries, and inhibiting surveillance from our own government.

But think about it. How could we let in Syrians, the people who are causing these terrorist attacks with ISIS and other groups? And how can we NOT take new measures of surveillance to prematurely stop more terrorist attacks? How can we risk it?

Well actually I think we can… And we have to.

…But they can’t come here

Not letting in Syrians trying to escape oppression in their countries is a moral based on fear. We’re afraid of letting any attacks happen to us so instead we let thousands of men, woman, and children die?

What happened to Home of the Brave?

We have a duty to serve our fellow humans on this earth. They’re people just like us.

We see being guarded and afraid as justification to oppress others and give up our own rights. Instead of helping these people with love and kindness, we bring them fear, hatred, and war.

Our fear has led to proposed amendments to expand surveillance powers. Some members of the senate have just proposed giving the FBI the authority to access internet browsing history and email without a warrant. This along with privacy invasions with the NSA; we’re not so free anymore.

Hatred and fear is exactly the cause of terrorist attacks. How can we perpetrate it? There are other solutions to the problem.

Gawl! Hasn’t anyone seen zootopia?