Dreams have the ability to lift people up. They have the ability to pull people from the darkest and vilest of situations and foster hope. Right now, hope is the only thing Syrians have in this world. Their lives are being torn apart. Weapons, torture and murder are all some Syrian children know, but their parents hope to provide a better life. They hope for a world of peace and opportunities for the future -- they hope for the American Dream. The American Dream has consistently been a goal for people the world over. And Syrians are no different. The Syrian Civil War began in 2011 and has been labeled a humanitarian crisis; biological and chemical warfare is being inflicted upon Syrian civilians. A quarter of a million people have died in the
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Right now, only about 3% of refugees are Christian (“Facts about the Syrian Refugees”). However, restricting the small pool of 2,000 refugees to only Christians would essentially be admitting no refugees. Putting religious restrictions on an applicant pool would be ineffective and wrong. America does not have “religious tests..[to its] compassion” (“Press Conference”). Having religious tests would demonstrate a misguided attempt to declare that Christians have a better moral compass than other religions, demonstrating a break from American ideals. The pilgrims, some of the first people to settle America were fleeing religious persecution. They found America to be a haven for the persecuted and the vulnerable. The first colonies, Maryland and Rhode Island, stressed the importance of religious freedom. Everyone was accepted. To deny Syrians entrance to America based on their religion goes against everything America as a country values. Even Pope Francis called upon Christians to accept those who were vulnerable and needed protection. He did not say to only protect the Christians or the Catholics, he asked America to protect all
Right now, only about 3% of refugees are Christian (“Facts about the Syrian Refugees”). However, restricting the small pool of 2,000 refugees to only Christians would essentially be admitting no refugees. Putting religious restrictions on an applicant pool would be ineffective and wrong. America does not have “religious tests..[to its] compassion” (“Press Conference”). Having religious tests would demonstrate a misguided attempt to declare that Christians have a better moral compass than other religions, demonstrating a break from American ideals. The pilgrims, some of the first people to settle America were fleeing religious persecution. They found America to be a haven for the persecuted and the vulnerable. The first colonies, Maryland and Rhode Island, stressed the importance of religious freedom. Everyone was accepted. To deny Syrians entrance to America based on their religion goes against everything America as a country values. Even Pope Francis called upon Christians to accept those who were vulnerable and needed protection. He did not say to only protect the Christians or the Catholics, he asked America to protect all