Don Roach:  Terrorists Win When We’re Afraid

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Don Roach, GoLocalProv MINDSETTER™

 

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Let me warn many of my faithful readers, you might stop reading me after this post. But I’m sorry, I can’t remember the last time so many of us responded in such a fearful, and daresay hateful way then what I’ve seen in response to the attacks in Paris and the current Syrian crisis. 

As you may be aware, France saw the worst attack on its soil since World War II last week and since then much of the conversation has centered on two topics: 1) Should the US entertain more Syrian refugees and 2) How do we continue to fight (and eventually win) this war on terror?

States say no to refugees.

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Regarding the former, many states after the Paris attacks came out with the following comments (h/t CNN):

“Security comes first.” – Texas Governor, Greg Abbott.

“I’ve issued an executive order directing state agency heads to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in GA.” – Georgia Governor, Nathan Deal.

“I will oppose any attempt to relocate Syrian refugees to Alabama through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.” – Alabama Governor, Robert Bentley.

Indeed, most states have come out with statements saying they do not want Syrian refugees in their states. Hey, I get it. Of the 11 million Syrian refugees there are likely to be people who are either affiliated with ISIS or sympathetic to ISIS open to joining them. What state would want to open their borders to terrorists? Nobody wants a terrorist. 

But I’m with the Parisian who lost his wife in Friday’s attack and said, “you will not have my hatred.” In essence, he was saying that although you might have taken my wife and many others’ family and friends, I still plan to live free and to teach my child to live free. He actually put it better so I’ll quote him:

“You want me to be frightened, that I should look into the eyes of my fellow citizens with distrust, that I sacrifice my freedom for security. You lost. I will carry on as before.”

And that my friends is how we should respond to terrorists. Terrorists are not or at least don’t have the financing to take over countries. What they want to do is instill fear, make us distrust our neighbors, and change our laws so that the freedoms many of our forefathers fought for vanish overnight by way of a few suicide bombers.

Don’t let the terrorists win by living in fear!

Make no mistake, losing a loved one or friend to terrorism isn’t trivial, but we grant terrorists the victory when we are crippled or act based on fear. And refusing parts of 11 million men, women, and children because they are from a country wrought with terrorists – whom they are fleeing by the way – is an act of pure cowardice. 

And that is not the America of the free nor the America of the brave that I love. Here’s a question for you – if you knew that of the 11 million refugees 100 were definitely terrorists would you refuse the other ten million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred people because a fraction were terrorists? Your answer to that question demonstrates if the answer is out of fear or freedom. 

I don’t typically approach such questions with such a black and white paintbrush. But I am sickened by our knee-jerk response to people fleeing from their homeland in true fear of their lives because a small, nay miniscule number of them may be potential terrorists. 

I am not suggesting all 11 million set up shop in the US. What I am saying, is that we are the shining example of Democracy, freedom, and liberty or at least we claim to be when it’s convenient. I asked my Facebook family about this very issue and most were all for keeping our doors closed to the Syrian refugees. Concerns centered on security, the inability to accurately vet refugees, and low reward for a seemingly high risk proposition. Most American Governors agree with my Facebook community, but I don’t. 

I believe we should be the leaders on terrorism in rooting it out at its source and – pardon my French – sticking a certain proverbial finger at terrorists by saying “we are not intimidated, we will not sacrifice our freedoms, and you will not destroy our way of life” by continuing as the husband of one of Parisian terrorist victims is by not allowing the terrorists to have our hatred.

Ever.

Don Roach is still a Young Republican. 

 

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