Slightly Uninformed Thoughts on the Migrant Crisis
Disclaimer: This story is much “heavier” than my previous post. Hope you’ve had your morning coffee before reading.
I’ll be the first to admit — I am the furthest thing from a expert in foreign policy and current events across the world. Honestly, I often skip over headlines about Syria/Iraq/Greece/ect. Why? Because it is easy to believe that these situations have no impact on me. It is easy to ignore them because they’re often too complex to understand by simply reading my daily Skimm. I’m easily caught up in the small, 20 mile radius in which I spend the vast majority of my days. But when I read about international crises like those in Syria, my heart breaks. And I start to put myself in the shoes of the hundreds of thousands of people who are in a constant state of danger and distress.
What would I do if I born and raised in Syria/Iraq/Afghanistan? What if it was all my family knew, if it was where we had earned a living, made a home, and developed lifelong friendships? Would I be able to flee and leave it all behind?
I like to consider myself a center-right Republican. I am in favor of improved border security and a realistic approach to handling the number of illegal immigrants living in the States. But how does this translate to the situation in the EU?
In America, its so easy to fall into the belief that foreigners are a burden on society, living the “American Dream” without having to contribute financially to that dream they so desperately want to live. But we often forget that they have two very clear choices. Flee their native country, or risk death every single day.
The images of families, with young children and fragile elders, living in squalor at the border of Hungary and other counties, have a profound impact on me. I’ve become so desensitized to the Mexican border “crisis” we Americans hear about on the regular (especially living in Iowa, where candidates like to tout their groundbreaking ideas to handle the situation). But that situation pales in comparison to the situation in Syria.
For the past couple days, I have ignored the headlines of the Syrian toddler washed ashore in Turkey. Partly because I knew the pictures would be graphic, partly because I wasn’t familiar enough with the situation to understand why it mattered. But after finally reading up on the article, I can’t stop thinking about it.
What if I was a native Syrian? Where would I go? Would I risk my life to leave a war-torn country? Or would I risk my life and stay?
I honestly do not have an answer.
What would you do?
