"Abbott's slippery slope" / "Texas should still mean friendship": A Follow-Up

Monday of last week, I took a sick day. I had been looking after my ill toddler son over the weekend and he passed along his lovely germs to me, and I was home with a nasty cough and a sore throat. With nothing to do but sit around trying to stay hydrated and well-rested, I spent a good portion of the day reading the news.

That same day, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced (along with numerous other American governors) that his state would no longer welcome refugees from Syria, citing security concerns in light of the terrorist attack in Paris. I ended up spending a good portion of my morning both sick and fuming.


So, with rare free time to sit and write, I did something I've never done before: I wrote down my thoughts in an essay geared for a newspaper audience. I then submitted it to the editorial boards at both The Houston Chronicle (my hometown paper) and The Austin American-Statesman (the paper of our state capital). I figured that if neither paper ran the essay, I'd post it here on my blog... and kind of assumed that's exactly what would happen.


Lo and behold...


To my pleasant surprise, both papers chose to post my essay on their websites. The Chronicle ran my essay on their online Outlook page under the name "Abbott's slippery slope", while the American-Statesman ran a more heavily edited version on their myStatesman page a day later under the name "Texas should still mean friendship". That was cool enough on its own, but I then discovered that the American-Statesman shared the link on their Facebook and Twitter, where people were commenting, sharing, and re-tweeting it.

Opinion: If Abbott — and the governors of other states taking similar stands — truly wants to be consistent, he needs to acknowledge that he made this decision out of fear.
Posted by Austin American-Statesman on Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Opinion: In Syrian refugee response, Texas should still mean friendship https://t.co/lteIj5lDjU pic.twitter.com/oU2OyZr1my

— My Statesman (@MyStatesman) November 19, 2015

As overwhelming as it felt to see my words posted on social media by two newspapers in major Texas cities, it was even more overwhelming to see the response on my Facebook, where a diverse cross-section of my Facebook friends - family members; friends from high school, college, and seminary; people from various churches I've called home over the years; etc. - commented with supportive words and "Likes", and several shared the article on their own Facebook walls. I was incredibly humbled by the kind words from so many, including more than a few people I haven't talked to personally in years. If you're reading this and you're one of those people, thank you very much.

I also recognize that more than a few people replied with kind comments even though they personally do not agree with my position on the Syrian refugee issue. Those compliments and supportive words were the most meaningful of all.


I looked through the comments on the American-Statesman's Facebook post and on the various shared posts of my article posted by my Facebook friends, plus I've of course been reading various perspectives across social media. I wanted to write a response to a few of the most common rebuttals and critiques of the position I put forth in my essay, and hope that my words hear will be received with grace and consideration - while also hoping I can be gracious and considerate to those with whom I disagree.

I will say this: I do not believe that Gov. Abbott and other politicians who oppose the admittance of Syrian refugees intend to be cruel or hateful. I believe they are motivated by a sincere and understandable desire to keep their citizens safe. However, I do still strongly believe that the unintended consequence of disallowing Syrian refugees would cause a great deal of pain, not only to refugees, but to people who stand for freedom worldwide.


Anyway, enough rambling. I present my response to three of the major critiques that I have read consistently online:

"As long as we have homeless veterans, hungry children, etc. here in the USA, we don’t have room to take in refugees."

I’ve seen this argument posted quite a few times in multiple variations. I do believe this particular push-back comes from a respectable place; however, I also think it is tremendously misguided.

Posted by Right Wing News on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Who agrees' with this meme?More Here: http://www.surenews.com/
Posted by Busted Locals on Tuesday, November 17, 2015

I cannot say that I understand the logic that says, “Because we’re not helping our own people, we can’t help others.” The underlying assumption argues that we don’t help veterans, orphans, and so on because we don’t have the ability to do so.

Superficially, this argument makes some sense. Much of my work experience took place in the realm of church ministry, and I’ve been party to more than one debate about overseas missions and international service projects. “Why are we sending people over there to do work and spending our money on those places when we have so much that needs to be done here?” is a question I’ve heard more than once. Truth be told, I’ve asked the question myself on more than one occasion. When allocating funds in the budget of a local church, asking for a significant portion of the incoming funds to be dedicated to international missions might be a bit much to ask.


But we’re talking about the scope of the whole of American society here. I don’t believe that welcoming refugees somehow prevents us from reaching out to Americans in need. Having worked on the donations end of a nonprofit that worked with the homeless in a major city, I would suggest that the only thing that prevents us from reaching out to Americans in need is, well, us.


I’ll get into this more later on in my post, but my strong belief is that the biggest impact on the refugee crisis will come from faith communities, nonprofits, and individuals and households who make the decision to do something to welcome refugees and help them. Perhaps you have a different passion: providing housing and healthcare for veterans in need; recruiting families to take in foster children and give them loving homes; fighting racial injustice and police corruption; equipping uneducated single moms to better provide for their families; and so on and so on with virtually countless possibilities.

If some other major point of need is your calling or the need closest to your heart, by all means, pour yourself into that and be blessed. But don’t stand in the way of others who have different passions than your own, and don't pretend that the need dearest to your heart needs to be satisfied before anyone else can work toward eliminating other points of hurt.

"Syrian refugees pose too much of a security risk."

This is the main thrust of Gov. Abbott’s reasoning, and I feel I've mostly said my piece on the subject in my original essay. I will, however, address an analogy I’ve read posted in a few different places by different people:

Merica. pic.twitter.com/JQ7oJrEVtc

— Cloyd Rivers (@CloydRivers) November 18, 2015

This analogy is beautifully worded, but fundamentally flawed. I lock and bolt the doors on my house at night to protect my family because I love them, but if I saw someone left beaten and bloody trying to pull herself up on my porch and quietly gasping for help, I'd like to believe that I’d unlock that door and usher her inside.

Of course, here comes the disconnect: Many assume that opening the door and letting in refugees compromises our own safety. They would argue that the vetting process for allowing in refugees (especially Syrians) needs to be re-evaluated and tweaked before allowing more of them in. I don’t believe this is true.


Others have responded to this argument more eloquently and with more informational basis than I could, so I will defer to others to further underscore the point. Two reading recommendations: this Facebook post from Scott Hicks, a pastor and former immigration lawyer, detailing the resettlement process from a legal perspective, and this Twitter post from Buljušmić-Kustura Arnesa, a Bosnian refugee to the USA, detailing the resettlement process from a personal perspective.


If you believe Syrians pose a threat to the US because you’re ignorant of the refugee process, that’s OK. I was ignorant to the process not that long ago, and I still have a lot to learn. Ignorance can be educated.

If you believe Syrians pose a threat to the US because you’ve learned about the refugee resettlement process and stubbornly chosen to believe that there’s either some conspiratorial flaw in the system or there’s something inherently sinister about Syrians and/or Arabs and/or Muslims, it may be time to do some soul-searching.

"We don’t have the resources, especially the money, to take in these people."

Upon re-reading my article as it was published in both the Chronicle and the American-Statesman, I became concerned that I did not adequately clarify one important piece of my opinion on the matter. If I could tell Gov. Abbott one thing to his face, I would hope the message would boil down to this: “Let them come.” Don’t close the door. Don’t unjustly single out one particular people of national origin.

Honestly, though, I don’t feel I am informed enough to speak too deeply about public policy or legislation. I do seriously doubt that ending refugee resettlement in the US would have any significant economic boon for our country, plus I would hope my tax dollars are being invested in (among other things) causes like refugee resettlement.

(Quick aside - if my final statement in that paragraph gives you pause, and you find yourself thinking of other things our tax dollars should be spent on, please refer back to the red-colored text at the end of my first section.)

But if refugee resettlement in the USA will be truly effective, it won’t primarily be because of the federal government. It’ll be because ordinary individuals and organizations become passionate about taking care of these people and put forth their time, money, and resources toward helping. In my opinion, the money quote from my essay came toward the end:

"If Texas truly wants to combat terrorism, be a good friend to our neighbors, and keep our own locals safe, we should open the doors and welcome refugees with loving arms. Churches and other faith communities, civic services and households should rise up and greet Syrians and others with hospitality and grace. As a people, we should show refugees and displaced peoples that there is hope for a better life and a better future, and that hope lies in the context of a free nation with a democratically elected secular government."

(Totally tangential aside: The Chronicle edited out my Oxford comma. Weird.)


My personal concern is primarily with what the individual citizen and local organizations are doing to serve refugees. When I first read Gov. Abbott’s statement on Syrian refugees, my knee-jerk thought was to write a letter to the governor’s office. After reflecting for a few hours, I changed my mind and decided to send a letter to a few newspapers.

My main reason was that I figured if my words could impact at least a few people on a personal level and move them to action, that would be a much more profound thing than sending off a letter to Austin that, in all likelihood, would at best be screened by an aide before it even came anywhere close to the governor's desk. Even if Gov. Abbott did read my letter, I'm still naïve enough to think that actions of common people working together can make a louder impact than a statement from a governor's office.

So, What Now?

To that end, I wanted to offer a few links to some different organizations that present opportunities to volunteer or give financially and take some tangible step toward helping refugees. This list is by no means exhaustive, and since I currently live in the Houston area and my article was catered to a Texan audience, these links are mostly connected to Texas, especially Houston.

Wherever you live, though, it is very likely that refugees who need help live in your area, and a quick Google search should yield some organizations working with refugee populations.


I also encourage the religious among you to initiate conversations at your church, mosque, synagogue, temple, ward, or so on, about whether anyone in your community would be willing to bond together and make some response to the problem. Amazing things can happen when faith gets translated into action.


Anyway, here's a list:


UNHCR: the UN's Refugee Resettlement Agency. They literally work confronting this issue all over the world, and most (if not all) of your local agencies will be connected with them on some level.

International Rescue Committee: This group is very near and dear to my heart because my wife and I volunteered with them in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was working with them that I learned much of what I now know about refugee resettlement, and where I had the opportunity to interact with refugees from many different countries. They don't have an office in Houston, but they do work in Abilene and Dallas, as well numerous other locations worldwide.

Houston-based agencies:
Interfaith Ministries
Partnership for the Advancement & Immersion of Refugees
Refugee Service of Texas (they also work in Amarillo, Austin, Ft. Worth, and Dallas)



I don't plan to write anything further on this topic, but then again, I didn't wake up one Monday morning intending to send an essay to the editorial boards of a few newspapers. Nonetheless, I welcome your comments (supportive or critical) and appreciate you taking the time to read my largely inconsequential words.


And one last request: If you're so inclined, set yourself an alarm or something that will sound off in about 15-18 months or so that says, "THERE ARE STILL REFUGEES IN NEED". I have no idea how long this issue is going to be a flashpoint in the media, but the real needs of refugees will be here for the long haul. These are people who are often largely invisible in mainstream society, and perhaps the silver lining of these events is that, for once, we have a widespread national and international conversation about refugees going on. Let's keep it going for a while longer...