Nov 18, 2015

I have a good friend who is very involved on campus w/ politics and global issues. He's a political science major and is in a bunch of clubs dealing with politics. Today he came to me asking me if I'd like to sign a petition to support Syrian refugees because IA's Governor, Terry "Dumbfuck" Branstad ordered state agencies to halt any work on refugee resettlements because of the Paris attacks.

I know what a lot of people, including my dad, tend to think when it comes to this issue, which I sort of agree with. They think that the safety of our country is the number one important factor, which it is, but it's also our duty to protect global humanitarian rights.

I signed the petition with pride.

 

Nov 18, 2015

So many racists here in Finland i'm really ashamed of my country

 

Nov 18, 2015

incorrect. they came here on a visa and then sought asylum, h/t @captain awesome

 

Nov 18, 2015

 

Nov 18, 2015

You realize the media is 100% on your side on nearly every issue I've seen you debate on, right?

 

Nov 18, 2015

 

Nov 18, 2015

oh come on

the iraq invade is DIRECTLY the reason for the region instability, there should be no one denying that...that invade is 90% to blame for everything that followed .. yes Saddam was evil, but he was a scary force located in a place that forced people to behave..his death f----- the region

i mean come on

 

Nov 18, 2015

i wanna ask before you answer

did you know US turned down the jewish refugees during the war?

think about that for a minute, then respond

 

Nov 18, 2015

thanks @Chad Warden & @JMG

 

Nov 18, 2015

another huge part of this that no one is talking about (i only read page 1 so far) is that injecting this many refugees into any country, ESPECIALLY france THIS soon after the attacks is going to stir up a LOT of emotions. Innocent or not the public is going to be apprehensive of the refugees and isolate and alienate them. It'd be nice to think everyone will accept the refugees and we will all hold hands and smiles and sing and form a giant peace symbol that is visible from space but life isn't a carebares cartoon. They're going to be shunned and discriminated against, whether or not they should be is a moot point.

That kind of alienation seems to be what isis prays on. They don't need to send radicalized terrorists into these countries, just by creating a hostile environment they have to flee and getting them into these countries while simultaneously attacking the countries puts a huge hate fuled target wrongfully on the backs of the refugees is creating sleeper agents. Even if not a single isis member infiltrates, there's going to be thousands of people who are experiencing their anti west narrative first hand.

 

Nov 18, 2015

I agree.
Women everywhere should also stop giving birth. Sure, 99.9% of babies will grow up to be fine, but one might s---t up a school.

 

Nov 18, 2015

@Nickb15 I like you bruh but you're off base here. Killing Sadaam caused TONS of instability to a very vulnerable part of the world. He was evil, but without him ISIS basically has free roam in that territory.

 

Nov 18, 2015

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2015/11/18/3723440/france-refugees/

France just became the greatest country in the world for me

good job guys

 

Nov 18, 2015

Following the Boston Marathon bombing, the Washington Post and others reported that the bombers were refugees. Other reports, however, have indicated that the Tsarnaev brothers were not refugees — they arrived in the United States as young children of an asylee. As a State Department official told Bloomberg, their father came to the United States on a tourist visa and applied for asylum.

Most people aren’t familiar with the distinct, separate definitions of refugees and asylees (or asylum-seekers), but both groups in the U.S. tend to get a disproportionate amount of attention in the news for a variety of reasons. For example, the infamous 2013 Boston Marathon bombers were both immigrant refugees from Chechnya, which prompted some U.S. politicians to try to pass laws to lower the number of refugees allowed in the country. (See update above.) In September 2013, 25 DREAMers tried to re-enter the U.S. border from Mexico in order to ask for asylum in an attempt to bring attention to immigration issues as well as to obtain a legitimate legal status.

Why do the definitions of refugees and asylees get confused?
Refugees and asylees are often misunderstood labels that can mean two separate things, though they are frequently used together. Both refugee and asylum seekers must demonstrate:

• They can no longer live in their home country due to a reasonable fear or proof they will be persecuted.
• The reason for their persecution is related to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion.

In these cases, “persecution” can mean anything from threats and harassment to violence, torture, unfair imprisonment, or denial of basic human rights. Refugees must apply for a green card after one year in the U.S., while asylees have the option to. They both receive the same rights as other green card holders (legal permanent residents).

Characteristics of refugees
The U.S. government has much tighter restrictions on who can be labeled a refugee, but there are many more refugees than asylees granted legal status per year. Each year, the President determines how many refugees will be allowed to enter the U.S. In fiscal year 2013, 69,930 refugees were authorized to enter the U.S., just 70 people shy of the 70,000 maximum. Iraq, Burma, and Bhutan sent the largest groups of refugees to the U.S. (Update: In fiscal year 2014, 69,986 refugees entered the United States. Numbers for 2015 are not yet available.)

In order to be a refugee under U.S. immigration law,

• You must fit the requirements regarding persecution (listed above)
• You must secure refugee status while you are still outside the United States. You cannot seek refugee status once you are inside.
• Your case is of special humanitarian concern to the United States.
• You can be labeled admissible for legal entry into the United States.

Characteristics of asylees
For the last decade, the United States has been accepting between 20,000 and 30,000 asylum applicants per year. Popular countries of U.S. asylum seekers include China, Venezuela, and Ethiopia, Egypt, and Haiti.

To seek asylum in the U.S. under current laws,

• You fit the requirements of living under threat of persecution as a refugee (listed above).
• You are already present in the United States or are seeking admission at a port of entry.

One important difference is that asylees do not have to have legal immigration status to apply for protection. This is one of the reasons why it has become a popular method with DREAMers and undocumented immigrants who don’t have any other alternatives to seek legal status.

There are two ways to apply for asylum in the U.S.: affirmatively (voluntarily or preemptively) or defensively. Defensive applicants are those who ask for asylum in response for being detained or apprehended by immigration enforcement. In 2013, slightly more than half of asylees gained refuge through affirmative applications.
http://www.visanow.com/refugees-and-asylees/

 

Nov 18, 2015

Just read the last 14 pages..... I have a headache now.

 

Nov 18, 2015

U guys need a water break or something, everyone attacking each other

 

Nov 18, 2015

I'm not voting Hilary but ok

 

Nov 18, 2015

I insulted him f---ing once and he's been debating this for a week now and won't put any thought into any other side so thanks but no thanks

 

Nov 18, 2015

Nickb is posting a lot of opinions and he should in fact be posting less

 

Nov 18, 2015

why the f--- did the conversation shift to who's to blame
it doesn't matter at this point
hindsight is 20/20, and it's completely irrelevant to say "us should have stayed" "us shouldnt have been there in the first place" "obama this" "bush that"

it doesn't f---ing matter this is the situation the world is in right now. why even bother arguing about the past like it's going to make a difference?