Immigrants

Okay, I think I finally figured out why so many white people (yeah, fine, mostly Republicans) are scared of immigrants.

They think the new immigrants are going to be like them; or more accurately, their ancestors. You know, the ones who came here fleeing religious persecution and set up a perfect replica of their religious ideal, then proceeded to starve to death when they couldn't figure out how to plant.

They got help and support from the indigenous people, food and supplies, and teaching how to plant and reap crops, then after a while, killed them all and took over. Or, if not killed them, made them lose their culture and identity, forcing them to tiny areas much smaller than the land they occupied before (often in a completely different part of the continent), and giving them no self-rule or authority at all, no opportunities for living, and making them go to white schools and learn "correct" history. History with no mention of them except as conquered and deserving of it.

Now, the descendants of those religious settlers are the "natives" and they're terrified that the new crop of immigrants and refugees from persecution will follow their own example: accept their help and be incredibly grateful, and then destroy them, just like their own ancestors did.

There are two basic problems with that thinking:
1) not everybody is as selfish and violent as you are. These immigrants want to be American; we really are the "shining city on the hill" and we are (mostly) admired and envied by others in the world; when they get the chance, they want to be part of the USA. If our demographics are changing, we need to keep up. The USA has always been a melting pot; many peoples, from many places and cultures, coming together to make a great amalgam, better than, but still holding to, the places and cultures they came from.

2) These refugees and immigrants are already being turned away from everywhere. They are homeless, desperate, and have nothing. Giving them aid, a place, a life, will earn their love and loyalty for those who gave it. Giving them nothing and telling them there is no room at the inn, will make them even more desperate and who knows what might happen, to them or to anywhere they may be stranded, if and when they finally break?
That is, if you need selfish reasons to help, instead of just helping those in need because you're a good person. We have so much to gain from them if we offer help, and so much to lose if we don't.

I know, I know, enemies of giving assistance to "brown people" keep saying "ISIS has said they're going to take advantage of this to sneak into the US." Well, we have vetting processes. Far too many actually. It can take more than 3 months to even clear the background checks, let alone get in with a visa. Homeland Security, medical, FBI, CIA, NSA, and many others all do independent checks on everybody coming in. It's kind of insane, how much checking is done, but are you really saying that all those various and different agencies, doing their own checks, will all miss an ISIS mole sneaking in? Really? Are all of those agencies totally incompetent?

Then, there's the other thought. ISIS has proven themselves quite savvy in PR and new media. It's entirely possible (maybe even likely?) that they're releasing these statements so that other countries will turn away the refugees, who will tell their families and friends back home, who will then stay put, under ISIS control, rather than trying a horrendous journey that will end with them being sent back anyway. Consolidating their control and the hold over the people they've taken.

They could also try to use it as recruiting: "see, the West is so scared of us, they won't even help the detritus that flees our nation," or "see? The infidels don't really care about you. We do." or even both. Goodness knows that even in the US, a particular group can say two completely contradictory things at different times and have both be accepted.

Again, there are many reasons to help; not least of which is it's a human, and humane, thing to do. And few, if any, valid reasons not to.