A Syrian woman posted on Facebook recently, “Under the Mediterranean, on the bottom of the sea, another Syria exists, one that’s full of life: children kicking soccer balls, teens doing their homework, women cooking, men working, and the elderly sipping coffee. If you visit the bottom of the sea, you will discover another Syria.”
In Daily Beast today “Drowning Syria to Keep Iran Deal Afloat,” (where I found the above quote) Lina Attar asks if it is worth it and just to have turned away from confronting Assad because Iran is supporting him.
The US has been the major donor to the UN for Syrian refugee relief. Other countries have shrugged off the UN request for funds. But the US has been absent in coming forth with assistance with resettlement and the silence of the President has been deafening on the recent refugee crisis. US refugee organizations are asking our government to take 100,000 refugees. From the Huffington Post:
If the U.S. wanted to admit that many people again, it could, said Erol Kekic, executive director of Church World Service’s immigration and refugee program. [ referring to the much larger numbers we have taken in in the past ] He said the U.S. has “been absent from this crisis from the very beginning — at least on the resettlement side — and that’s embarrassing, to put it mildly.”
Today John Kerry spoke with congress and stated the US will take in more Syrian refugees. No numbers were mentioned in the news report.
Notes Tied On The Sagebrush 
What does that mean? Why can’t they actually say what they mean? Sorry, I know you’re just the messenger – and thanks for that.
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I am not sure what your question is asking? Can you be more specific? I will respond later today, have to run out to do some work. 🙂
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It’s ok. It’s just frustrating to hear them say “we’re going to take more…” Is that 5,000? 50,000? Or 5% more than last year? I don’t expect you to know.
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I know it’s confusing. I saw a later news report that gave some numbers but I don’t want to quote it just yet because it wasn’t clear to me either. 😦
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This is a touching story, Deborah. More people should know that.
Thanks for sharing it.
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Thanks Lucile. You are welcome.
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It is excellent to get the American perspective from your posts. Thanks.
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Hi. I’ve read that it’s now state governors who are trying to block entry to Syrian refugees. So sad.
And here in Britain we are taking only a handful.
Enough said.
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Yes a lot of backlash. But there is push back against the backlash as well. I am thinking it will calm down. I hope so.
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