DH and I were watching the evening news last night, and right after they gave the grim figures about how many people are losing their jobs over the "Big Three" auto plant lay offs, they talked about the numbers of Iraqi's that can now emmigrate to the U.S.. What the heck?? We don't have enough jobs to absorb all the soon to be jobless Americans, and now we are going to take on more? And like DH said, how can the U.S. SURE that NONE of them are terrorists? What is wrong with our country?

I have family in England, and the U.S.should take a good look at them. Because England once colonized the world, it has become a HUGE melting pot. Many immigrants move to England and go on the dole. And Northern England, where my parents are from, is now a hot bed for terrorism. Christians aren't supporting their churches, so they are closing, but mosques are springing up all over England. A lot of the extremist clerics are recruiting young men and filling their heads full of radicalism. The London bombers, from a few years ago, came from Leeds where my Grandad was born. (He would be rolling in his grave). They were sent to Pakistan to learn the hatred that sparked the bombings.

I'm all for helping others. We were ALL immigrants at one time, except for the Native Americans, and even THEY may have come from Asia. However, aren't we giving our enemy the bullets to shoot at us, so to speak? I don't get it.

By Unschoolmom on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 06:25 am:

Despite jobs being lost in some specific industries the trend in the US, as it is here in Canada, is towards a lot of job creation. There are lots of jobs at the moment.

Regardless, the iraqi immigrants are first and foremost people. They should face the same screening any immigrant should for security reasons but I'm really uncomfortable with talk of not letting any in because of religion or nationality.

I think, on this issue, we've got a duty to really examine our (and those of others) personal prejudices and perceptions so we can sort the matter out clearly. I know I've had a few of my own I've had to deal with on the matter.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 07:52 am:

A lot of the Iraqi refugees are people who have worked with the US government, as translators and in other capacities, and fled Iraq because of death threats to them and their families. They were promised visas, and then the rules changed and many were told they'd have to go back to Baghdad (where they were under death threats) to the U.S. Embassy there to get visas. Others are simply displaced by the ethnic/religious warfare that is turning areas into all Shiite or all Sunni.

Yes, there'd have to be really careful screening, and I don't know how the screeners will be able to tell one Ahmed Hussein, on a terrorist-watch list, from another Ahmed Hussein. I expect it will be a real mess, as usual.

Examining one's soul for prejudices and perceptions is always a good thing to do, Dawn. I've been forced into that process more times than I care to remember, and always came out of it realizing I didn't know myself as well as I thought I did, and often changing opinions and views.

By Rayelle on Friday, February 16, 2007 - 04:34 pm:

I don't think we can be 100 percent sure anyone coming into this country isn't a terrorist regardless of where they are coming from. Alot of people hate America, not just those from the middle east.