The U.S. Is Not the Greatest Country in the World Guest Post by Jill Grossman

As an educated person who has worked extensively withrefugees all over the world, the hateful, xenophobic, racist state of this country right now makes me sick. The U.S. Is not the greatest country in the world and as your true colors show I am more convinced of this than ever. Should the tables ever turn and Americans need to leave, which will inevitably happen at some point (maybe not in our lifetime if we are lucky), I would hope that you are not judged or banned from safety and resettlement due to the likes of the KKK, Westboro Baptist, the Army of God, white homegrown American jihadists and countless other radical religious and antigovernment groups in America. When humanity and compassion are overcome by fear and hate, they have already won.  

During WWII, the U.S. closed and severely restricted immigration of refugees from Europe for many of the same reasons. How many people could have been saved had they not been turned away. I hope that is forever on your conscience.

If you are among those who believe we should close our borders to those running from same perpetrators we are fighting, a minuscule percent of 1% of the group as a whole, do not bother to argue or spew skewed statistics or unfounded ‘what if’ scenarios to me. Do not quote the Koran, for the bible has outdated teachings of the same nature that you choose to ignore. I ask that you look deep inside yourself, reconsider your own religious and moral teachings and then unfriend me because you are not the kind of person I need or even want in my life. You are cancerous to me, my life and a country that was built on the back of immigrants and refugees.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Jill Grossman has completed extensive study and post grad work in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, International Development and Global Public Health at Clemson University, West Chester University of Pennsylvania and most recently Columbia University. She’s traveled the world and worked for various nonprofits teaching, coaching sports and working with refugees and marginalized populations, with an emphasis in post-conflict social redevelopment. Albeit a recent Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis currently keeps her stateside, she lives in New York City, still working as an event planner, artist and nonprofit consultant.

82 Comments on "The U.S. Is Not the Greatest Country in the World Guest Post by Jill Grossman"

  1. fightingbluehen says:

    “The U.S. Is not the greatest country in the world and as your true colors show I am more convinced of this than ever.”

    I think I will have to go ahead and disagree with that. Even though the government of the country has moved decidedly left, I still think we are the greatest country in the world…..yup, the greatest country….in the world.

  2. Evan Queitsch says:

    France took in refugees and people died. Countless European countries took in refugees and people died. This is not about “fear” it’s about opening our eyes to reality. Can you ensure that if we take in this flood of humanity (good or bad, it’s a flood of humanity) that not one of our citizens will die as a result of an attack perpetrated by those we took in? The answer is no, you can’t.

    Jill, let me ask you, would you stop on the side of the road and let a hulking man with a gun into your car for a ride? Would you invite tigers to your home for dinner? I’m betting that the answer is no. Certainly not without serious thought and planning. You might offer to call the man a tow truck or a police car or even a taxi. You might donate to agencies that feed tigers and conserve their territories.

    Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results. In America Jill, I’m not sure if you know this, but we’ve continuously cut aid to our own homeless population, making it very difficult for them to find help. We’re $18 trillion in debt, Medicare/Medicaid are nearly a trillion of that already. We are ALREADY unable to sustain our own poor and lower class. How, pray-tel, do we add thousands more to the ranks of the less fortunate here?

  3. mouse says:

    There’s no connection refugees and terrorism. Please cite any info that shows the connection. Otherwise admit you are wrong or just another frightened right wing nut fear mongering for the merchants of death

  4. mouse says:

    Some white guy murders a school full of kids and crickets from you people

  5. mouse says:

    And you dumb assess vote for people who cut human services to give the 1% tax cuts because they appeal to your racial resentments

  6. mouse says:

    Any concern about corporate America outsourcing jobs for child labor in Asia? Or the republican party filibustering bills to take tax incentives away from companies that outsource? Why don’t you people just admit that your every political concern is based in your vile racist and cultural resentments and lack of any education in critical thinking!!!!

  7. Fish Bites says:

    We took in Syrian refugees, and we got Apple Computer, Evan.

    Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian refugee.

  8. Dunleve says:

    Mouse,

    Why are there Syrian refugees? Is it because of ISIL. Has ISIL caused a multi year civil war? Have we been supporting rebels not fighting ISIL, or have we been in a struggle to overthrow Damascus? We have been so occupied with toppling the Assad regieme, and half heartedly, that we have assisted in the refugee crisis.

    Russia is heavily invested in Syria, and has been doing the opposite.

    What has failed to surface is the terrible policy set by the (D) frontrunner that has led to the crisis. There is no backing down from the position of supporting the rebels and ignoring the ISIL problem without admitting we have been wrong all along. That is surer than knowingly falesly blaming the murder of an ambassador on a movie to lose Hillary the election.

    Are we to take all 21 Million? 60% of their population is below 20 years old. Where do you stop. Why not take the Country as our own and rescue them all in place.

  9. Jill says:

    There have been zero. Yes ZERO. Refugees since 9/11, of nearly one million that the U.S has taken in, charged with any act of terrorism. Three were detained, cleared and released. Tell me again how refugees cause terrorism?
    Source: The Economist

    Syrians are not hulking men with guns. There’s a few. But there’s more here in the states. Syrians are scared children, men and women running from a mutual foe. They are doctors, teachers, artisans and cooks. They are mothers and fathers and sons and daughters that have been forced from their homes, traveling deserts and oceans, losing loved ones along the way, with a glimmer of hope that eventually a better stable life lies at the end of the trip. They are people.

  10. Dunleve says:

    So admit the Administration has caused this disaster with their policy of arming rebels to overthow the Assad regieme. Then explain how Hillary can run for POTUS given this stance.

  11. Dunleve says:

    Where did I link refugees with terrorism. I want to know how many of the 21,000,000 you want to take in. It would be cheaper to buy Syria, and keep them there, and have the oil.

  12. delacrat says:

    dunleve sez:

    “Mouse,

    Why are there Syrian refugees? Is it because of ISIL.”

    Well, there is ISIL because Bush 2 invaded Iraq; causing a refugee flood of Saddam’s ex-military into Syria.

  13. Jill says:

    No one said a single thing about taking all of them. If you look it is about closing the borders.

  14. Dunleve says:

    Wrong Delecrat.

    And Jill, if you cannot have a plan that is sustainable, then it is not viable. If we cannot rescue all 21,000,000 , how do you determine the winners. Picking winners out of their population is wrong. Come up with a lan gthat doesnt involve simply taking .005% or whatever of a population you feel so bad for. What is your GRAND plan.

    You cannot blame Americans for being sceptical of taking refugees, when we are a broke Nation, and there is no cear plan to fix the problem.

    Offer solutions!

  15. Dunleve says:

    Delecrat: I am sure you wouldn’t contradict The Atlantic. Or are Liberal media sources sometimes wrong?

    http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08/isis-a-short-history/376030/?single_page=true

  16. delacrat says:

    Sorry dunleve,

    If you could actually comprehend the Atlantic article, you would have realized it confirms what I said.

    “ISI’s ranks were swelled by former Sons of Iraq, many of whom had previously been commanders and soldiers in Saddam’s military.”

    and….according to the former editor-in-chief of the London-based daily Al-Quds al-Arabi for 25 years

    http://www.democracynow.org/2015/11/17/abdel_bari_atwan_inside_how_the

    ABDEL BARI ATWAN: “Yes, the American invasion of Iraq created al-Qaeda, or strengthening al-Qaeda and created—or it created the incubator for the Islamic State, because, you know, they—as I said, under the banner of de-Baathification, they thrown millions of Iraqi ex-soldiers, ex-officers on the streets, without any hope, without any dignity, without any pension, nothing at all. And this is the hardcore of the Islamic State. “

  17. Fish Bites says:

    Dunleave, the current proposal is to take in 10,000 over a year. Not 60 million. Making up stuff to scare yourself with will give you wrinkles.

  18. Jill says:

    The plan has never been for one country to take in all refugees from any conflict. They are spread amongst neighboring countries and those who signed the 1951 Refugee convention. While the Syrian conflict has only recently become headline news, it has been a problem for years and over those years millions have resettled on every continent (except Antarctica…I can’t really see anyone moving there). To date the U.S. Has already taken in approximately 60,000 Syrian refugees (in addition to those from all over the Middle East and Africa) since the start of the conflict right under your nose. 2.1 million Syrians registered by UNHCR in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, 1.9 million Syrians registered by the Government of Turkey, as well as more than 26,700 Syrian refugees registered in North Africa. I believe Germany has taken in the most to date. We take in refugees every day. The structures already exist and they’ve been working all along. I volunteer with one such organization here in NYC that helps with asylum, settlement, finding housing and a job, etc. As the conflict worsens and more people need to leave the hot zones the world needs to step up. Those millions of people aren’t so many when everyone ups their quotas by a few thousand for those who qualify for refugee status under the convention. Not all qualify. For the record, as of 2013 there were 145 countries to the convention.

    Source: UNHCR

  19. mouse says:

    I heard white women were so attracted to Syrians that they are leaving their white men and converting to Islam in droves. Be afraid~~

  20. Dunleve says:

    Delecrat,

    If you intended to say that ISIL has grown because of the Iraq war that should have been your statement, however, you wrote “Well, there is ISIL because Bush 2 invaded Iraq”

    “Making up stuff to scare yourself with will give you wrinkles.”
    Where did I make anything up? Where is the plan. Taking .0005% of the population is not a plan its a band aid. Admit that your current (D) front runner for President made terrible choices in her handling of the Syrian crisis.

    Jill – You can volunteer and donate all the time and money you want, that is commendable. As soon as you start requesting that a whole Country do the same, you have to open up to other opinions. Its not your money and Country, and while it may be humanitarian to take in refugees, its also our responsibility that we don not further dilute the resources of this Country, leaving our children and grandchildren with a Country heavily in debt and losing its core values.

    I have really only asked one question which your narrative is deficient in answering. Why are you so worried about such an insignificant percentage of an overall population and not focusing on stabilizing the region? Who are you saving with 10,000 refugees, what of the other 20,990,000? Don’t toss around the typical liberal rhetoric at people that want a plan to stabilize the region, while you focus on saving the .0005%, because if you are sitting in Syria right now, chances are you aren’t coming to America.

    Your party won’t do that, because it would cost them the election.

  21. Bill Christy says:

    Jill,
    I’d like to address this first, you stated;

    “If you are among those who believe we should close our borders to those running from same perpetrators we are fighting, a minuscule percent of 1% of the group as a whole, do not bother to argue or spew skewed statistics or unfounded ‘what if’ scenarios to me”

    “During WWII, the U.S. closed and severely restricted immigration of refugees from Europe for many of the same reasons. How many people could have been saved had they not been turned away. I hope that is forever on your conscience.”

    Your statement about WWII is nothing more than what a “what if scenario” you tell others not to bother you with. The answer to your WWII scenario about “how many lives could have been saved if they had not been turned away” is as unknown as me stating how many American lives were saved in our nation by turning them away.

    Conservative estimates by Middle Eastern experts puts the members of jihadist movement at 15%. Using the 10,000 planned refugees granted entry that means there is a potential for 150 jihadist terrorists to slip through the process. Last night a woman strapped on a suicide vest and blew herself up in France a country already on maximum alert, which shows how daring these terrorist are and how vulnerable innocent people are. The fact it was a woman shows we can not gurantee that a woman refugee won’t do the same thing in our country.

    In my humble opinion we cannot compare today’s refugees and immigrants to those who helped found and build our nation. Those refugees and immigrants assimilated themselves to our nation, our beliefs, and many fought for our nation during war time.

    Our nation turned plenty of immigrants away primarily Italian and Irish based on nothing more than our preconceived biased beliefs about their unsavory lifestyles. Italians were turned away because they were given tests that many did not understand. They were deemed not intelligent enough and sent back to Italy rather than have them procreate with our citizens and weaken our nations intelligence. There is historical documentation of our governments actions which I just mentioned and it was made into a documentary film about the Italians. I wonder how many of them died during Mussolini’s reign of terror.

    Syrian men are conscripted to serve in their military, why are these men fleeing their country. If they are over 18, than they already have the military training to protect themselves and their families. Why aren’t these able bodied men with military training staying in the military to fight the terrorism they are fleeing from. When our own conscripted American’s fled to Canada during the Vietnam war we called them cowards and draft dodgers….go figure.

    As of June 2015 there have been 69 confirmed terror attack plots in the United States that have been thwarted Our luck is going to run out at some point, it’s inevitable.

    In closing I commend you for all you have done to help those less fortunate, I will keep you in my prayers concerning your recent MS diagnosis.

  22. yessir says:

    Inscription on the Statue of Liberty: ( Given to U.S. by France)

    Give me your tired, your poor,
    Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
    The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
    Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
    I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

    Author: Emma Lazarus

  23. Fish Bites says:

    “The answer to your WWII scenario about “how many lives could have been saved if they had not been turned away” is as unknown as me stating how many American lives were saved in our nation by turning them away. ”

    To be specific, it is German Jews we are talking about here. Americans did not want large numbers of Jews coming to the United States, and we did turn them away in the mid to late 1930’s. I doubt many went on to become storm troopers.

    Any estimates on how many lives we saved by locking up the Japanese and taking their property and businesses?

    There is a pattern to these things which we tend to regret in retrospect.

  24. Jill says:

    If you regret in retrospect would you not learn from your mistakes and alter your actions accordingly?

  25. mouse says:

    There is a large vocal component of the US population that has no knowledge of or interest in historical perspectives

  26. Bill Christy says:

    mouse sadly this is very true.

  27. mouse says:

    And it takes a certain level of moral and intellectual development to self reflect of course

  28. Rick says:

    As an educated person who has worked extensively withrefugees all over the world, the hateful, xenophobic, racist state of this country right now makes me sick.

    Then why don’t you get the hell out. Maybe you’d like Cuba or Uganda.

    Your naivity makes me sick and your lockstep adherence to politically-correct orthodoxy is dangerous to real Americans.

    Since you’re “educated,” try reading the Koran. Islam is a religion of conquest and forced conversions.

    Funny thing is, if Muslims had their way, you would spend your life tending goats. No car, no education and chattel status. You may be “educated,” but like Our Little Red Star, you don’t have any common sense.

  29. Jill says:

    Thank you for that glowing personal attack with glaring unfounded generalizations about both me and others. Please, I would appreciate some facts, stats, any reputable source really, that upholds any of what you just spewed at me. And yes, I have read the Koran. And the Talmud. And the Bible. Have you read your bible lately? It advocates the same practices and then some.

    Also, I quite love East Africa. Lived there for a stint and even speak Kiswahili. Most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen over the Indian Ocean. You should go sometime. It might even open your eyes.

    There is nothing naive about worldly responsibility.

  30. laffter says:

    “Since you’re “educated,” try reading the Koran. Islam is a religion of conquest and forced conversions. ”

    Really?? have YOU read the Bible? – same shit RIck….try the Old Testament – should I recite the books? or do you think you can put your scotch glass down long enough to find it for yourself?

    Jill – you are doing amazing work and I applaud you for it and echo your sentiments.
    Otherwise, I’d leave the trolls in here to their insipid drooling and sticky keyboards – because, in reality, its the only “getting off” that they can manage.

    Best wishes!!

    😉

  31. Jill says:

    thank you laffter

  32. Bill Christy says:

    fish bites in 1924 US Immigration established quotas in 1939 the quota was approximately 28,000 Austrian/German immigrants, with a reported 2 year waiting list. When the United States entered World War II in 1941, the State Department practiced stricter immigration policies out of fear that refugees could be blackmailed into working as agents for Germany.

    If you or Jill feel it necessary to 2nd guess what the state department did for what they believed was the protection of our nation go for it. To claim that it was done because of bigoted beliefs about Jews in my opinion seems a bit disingenuous.

  33. Jill says:

    And just how pray tell do you think those quota numbers were established? It was the number of immigrants who could pass a misused and grossly misrepresented “IQ” test scaled. There is a book. Scholarly but also written by a white Christian man. It is called “Better for All the World” by Harry Bruinius. You’d be surprised by what the Americans did and justified through misinformation, flawed “science,” fear mongering and outright hate.

  34. Bill Christy says:

    laffter which Bible would that be?
    The KJ and NKJ versions have very little in common with John Wycliffe’s Bible which was translated from Latin into English and hand copied in the 1400’s.

  35. Bill Christy says:

    Jill please go back and read my first post. I stated the same thing concerning Irish and Italian immigrants and the flawed tests they took, I’m not disputing that with you. I don’t need to read a book about what happened. I have knowledge about the tests from the stories my ancestors passed down.

    However in 1941 when we entered the war I believe the stricter immigration rules had little to due with bigotry and more to do with matters of national security.

  36. Jill says:

    And while you’re hitting books, I suggest you also read Amy Chua’s “World on Fire,” “People out of Place” compiled by Alison Brysk and Gershon Shafir. Also “Development as Freedom” by Amartya Sen, a Nobel prize winning economist. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, “Pathologies of Power” is by far one of my favorites; the edition with the powerful forward by Amrtya Sen. You might just get a glimpse of how all of this works out in the global scheme of things, now and in the future. It is so much bigger than the self inflicted sheltered fear bubbles that so many Americans live in can even fathom.

  37. Tom says:

    The US takes in 70,000 refugees a year, including 52000 from Irag (part of ISIS territory) over the last 3 years.

    30,000 refugees last year came from traditionally Muslim countries, including 1600 from Syria.

  38. Bill Christy says:

    I’m not surprised by anything our government has done.
    I also do not equate the term Americans with the term American government. They are not synonymous or interchangeable with one another in my opinion.
    Look no further than the governments sanctioned genocide of the Native American Indian Nations. Look at all the treaties our government broke and continues to break to this current date with these NAIN. The treaties aren’t worth the ink or paper they are written on.

  39. Jill says:

    And regarding the bible I’ll hit on some lesser used examples from my own research and readings

    Exodus 15:14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestine.
    15: 15 Then, the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the might men of Moab, trembling shall take hold on them, all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
    15:16 Terror and dread shall fall on them; by the greatness of your arm they shall be as still as a stone; till your people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which you have purchased.
    15:17 You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance.

    Deuteronomy is a doozy across the board. Go ahead and just read that whole chapter.

    Google “herem”

    I challenge you to read through these holy scriptures and tell me which is which and how one is better than the other or incites/advocates more violence http://www.alternet.org/30-most-violent-exhortations-bible-torah-and-quran

  40. Jill says:

    While you marinate in all of your reading and fact gathering I will leave you with this

    The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
    Edmund Burke

    Go forth and troll

  41. Bill Christy says:

    I’ve read the Holy Bible many times in the 58 years since I first began reading it with my great grandfather who was a Baptist Minister, but thank you for suggesting I read it again.

    I’m not an adversary, I feel we agree on more than we disagree on. The differences of opinion have more to do with personal beliefs than differences over facts. Jill no offense you assume that I don’t understand how all this works. While I do not have the first hand intricate knowledge you possess I believe I have a decent grasp of the flawed workings of our government.
    My late father in law was an International Political Science Professor who started the first political science program abroad with Dickinson College in 1965. The center is located in Bologna Italy, it was named in his memory after he passed away in 1999. We just celebrated Dickinson’s 50 year history of their global studies program in Washington, DC last month with many dignitaries and alumni from around the world. By the way my father in laws vision and program he started 50 years ago has now expanded to more than 40 programs on 6 continents in 24 countries.
    He was also on a number of advisory councils here and abroad which dealt with all aspects of international political relations. I’ve read the book that he authored on the history of Italian politics, and every paper he ever wrote concerning international political relations. My wife as a child lived between here and Italy. She has on more than one occasion told me how when she lived in Italy she was not accepted as an Italian even though her family was from there. She also has conveyed when she returned to America she was not accepted as an American even though she was born here. Try to imagine how that was for a little girl. She lived and grew up in Italy during the reign of Brigate Rosse, terror bombings and assassinations.

  42. Bill Christy says:

    Thank you for the personal attack calling me a troll. So much for attempting to have a respectful discussion of ideas.

    Save your quote for the able bodied Syrian men who are fleeing rather than fighting the enemy in their country.

  43. mouse says:

    Who is Jill Grossman and how did you get someone with such good ideas to post in here?

  44. mouse says:

    Who do the Syrians fight? Where do they join in bombed out neighborhoods?

  45. Jill says:

    Thanks mouse. I’m one of those crazy liberals. Proving we might be able to meet in the middle somewhere. tbh I was quite surprised to be approached to use my writing by a conservative group but I have been pleasantly surprised at much of the reception (unsurprised by others)

    The troll comment was not ment for you Bill but I will make sure to cheers to you when I go out with my Syrian and Pakistani friends tonight for a birthday.

  46. Rick says:

    Thank you for that glowing personal attack with glaring unfounded generalizations about both me ….

    And thank you for your hate-America rant.

    Also, I quite love East Africa. Lived there for a stint and even speak Kiswahili.

    Wow, you speak Kiswahili? That’s about as useful as a second left foot.

    Most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen over the Indian Ocean. You should go sometime….

    No thanks…I don’t visit places where they still die from appendicitis. But maybe you should go- and since you hate America- stay.

    Really?? have YOU read the Bible? – same shit RIck….try the Old Testament – should I recite the books? or do you think you can put your scotch glass down long enough….

    When’s the last time Christians flew passenger liners into skyscrapers? How often do Christians strap bombs to their chests and threaten cities with terrorist mayhem? Where do Christians behead those who don’t practice Christianity? Where do Christians treat women like chattel?

    If you want to commit cultural (and literal) suicide, be my guest. Just don’t ask normal Americans to comply.

    Granted, the Muslim is generally a coward, sort of like the nut-case who kills his wife and kids. But, that doesn’t make him any less dangerous.

    “Kill the Christian, Jew and the gay man too. Woman, hide thy face and hold thy tongue. Submit! Praise Allah!

  47. delacrat says:

    Jill,

    Give ’em hell, Jill !!!

  48. Rick says:

    Give ’em hell, Jill !!!

    If she and her ilk get their way, that might well happen. A living hell on Main Street USA.

  49. Jill says:

    It’s not worth my breath to even acknowledge him delacrat. If all he’s got is personal attacks, ill wishes for others, hate and delusions then he is part of the problem and feuling the fire. There isn’t even anything in that rant for me to respond to. It’s all hate. Welcome to hell Rick.

  50. Jill says:

    But I will clarify for you Rick that approximately 400 people still die in the U.S. each year from appendicitis.

  51. Laffter says:

    When’s the last time Christians flew passenger liners into skyscrapers? right here Rick – http://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-angry-at-irs-crashes-plane-into-office/

    How often do Christians strap bombs to their chests and threaten cities with terrorist mayhem? too cowardly to strap to his chest..http://www.history.com/topics/oklahoma-city-bombing

    Where do Christians behead those who don’t practice Christianity? LOL right here – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2814685/Man-charged-attack-killed-troopers-son.html

    Where do Christians treat women like chattel? DUKE BROOKS AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE GOP RIGHT HERE IN SUSSEX – DO I REALLY NEED TO REMIND YOU – IT JUST HAPPENED…..

    http://www.nbcnews.com/video/3-men-charged-in-plot-to-bomb-black-churches-566200387857

    tell me again about Christianity Rick????

    you dont do much fact checking do you

    Jill – I got your back…… LOL

  52. Laffter says:

    Frank – hurry up and approve my post – its a good one!! LOL

  53. Dunleve says:

    I thought by now you would reveal what Country you considered the greatest. Such a great headline, then nothing but complaints.

    No strategy for Syria yet either.

  54. IloveJill says:

    Jill is a breath of fresh air on this site. Anyone that can make Rick look like a bigger fool than he himself does on here is quite pleasing. Keep up the good work Jill!

  55. Laffter says:

    Ilovejill – hey. I rather like her /him myself

    But I think I got a good slam at Rick myself…… Don’t do that often – I be really just ignore trolls
    But Christians treating women as chattel? Hahahahahaha. That was too close to home not to respond to

    PLEASE – keep Jill around….

  56. Jill says:

    Yes laffter I quite appreciated your rebuttle. It was a good one!

    Dunleve, I don’t think there is a greatest country. I don’t think there needs to be. I think the only thing we top the scales in is the biggest military and spending the most to get the least. Our education system sucks. Our economy is finally coming back. Healthcare is on the rise but not there yet. We kill more of our own people than anyone else does. A strategy for Syria was for three, for even five years ago while everyone was ignoring the growing issue. (Side note: I was consulting at the time on advocating for increased mental health screening and treatment for Syrian child refugees in Jordan based on the regions they came from correlated with known hot zones to determine traumatic risk factors. They were overwhelmed with more than a million refugees) There is a joint priority right now to save as many people as possible while we, and the rest of the world continue to fight the bad guys. Because they are not the same people. It is a rescue mission. Not recovery.

  57. Jill says:

    I love you too ilovejill

  58. Dunleve says:

    Thank you for admitting that the past 3 to 5 years terrible foreign policy decisions have been made in the region. No, not everyone was ignoring, but the administration was.

    That was all i wanted to hear.

    I don’t agree with you, but good guest post.

  59. Jill says:

    The current administration is pretty darn good considering the best effort of a lot of people (but not a majority or you’d have won) to outright stop anything productive from getting done. It wasn’t a priority to you either until now because you have to face the issue head on when heaven forbid you run into a refugee walking down your block even though there’s been refugees in this country from every type of conflict and persecution since the Europeans came here to escape their own persecution in hopes of a better life. It doesn’t matter until it has an effect on you. Until you have to see it. Until you’ve been threatened. Now it’s real for everyone because we’ve been threatened and you think that somehow suddenly rescinding commitments to offer assistance and and safety to a small portion of an innocent population as part of a greater effort to save as many as possible, who have already been coming here for the duration of the conflict as part of our yearly quotas will somehow protect you from what? From what? The terrorists coming from the EU? The same ones born in the EU. Because that’s who bombed Paris. They were ISIS trained in Syria but they’re European. What about the ones grown here? The ones sneaking into Syria and then coming back while no one is the wiser. Oh wait we’ve foiled or outright kept people from going because they are actually pretty darn good at finding the extremists. Things happen. But you cannot condemn an entire people for the acts of a few. Take the lead of France and put on your big boy pants, and do your part as part of the international community because that is what this country was founded on in all of those old papers you’ve fought so had to make sure we stick to. Quit being scared. You have a better chance of getting hit by a car or a dying in a fire or getting shot in a movie theater.

    The fact that that was all you needed to hear is exactly the problem right now. People are so dead set on contradicting whatever is being done or trying to be done just so the other side doesn’t win, no matter how right or wrong you. You are the problem.

  60. Dunleve says:

    No, thats not my point. I wont meet a syrian refugee, or be harmed by one. This crisis os the flavor of the moment. 10K insividuals is noting in a Country of 21 million. Even if 1 million were spread across the globe to countries (except Japan) you still aren’t doing much of anything. Since you donate extensive time in energy peraonally I commend your sacrifice, but their needs to be an effort to stabalize the region , to allow for the 99.9 that have to stay, to live in safety.

  61. Jill says:

    In that case the comment is redirected to some of the others on this feed {cough Rick cough}

  62. Rick says:

    It’s not worth my breath to even acknowledge him delacrat.

    Funny. Yet you “acknowledge me in your next post. Typical confused “liberal.”

    If all he’s got is personal attacks, ill wishes for others, hate and delusions then he is part of the problem and feuling the fire. There isn’t even anything in that rant for me to respond to.

    But you did respond.

    …it’s all hate.

    I assume you’re talking about Islam.

    But I will clarify for you Rick that approximately 400 people still die in the U.S. each year from appendicitis.

    400 in a nation of 420 million. What an epidemic.

    Do I need to furnish health statistics re Africa? I mean really. You want to go there?

    Thank God you naive, weak, pathetic leftists weren’t around in 1940. The average German was “good,” too. The average German didn’t support the gassing and burning of Jews and gays and the retarded. But the German hierarchy did. They also believed that they could rule the world, and they came pretty damn close to doing it.

    The same applies to Islam. I am not concerned with “good” Muslims, because they are impotent. The radical Islamic fundementalists are dedicated to the Koran and jihad. They believe in the “final battle” against the infidel which will lead to world hegemony. Can’t you people understand that? What will it take- a nuclear blast in Washington?

    “Kill the Christian, Jew and the gay man too. Woman, hide thy face and hold thy tongue. Submit!…Praise Allah!”

  63. mouse says:

    It’s nice to have a forum of diverse opinions and discussion

  64. Jill says:

    I’m still waiting for Rick to say anything of substance to counter facts and documentation vs just spewing hate and redirecting the conversation to attack individuals.

    And people still die from appendicitis here. Any deaths voids your entire argument because you’re still here. However if that’s a small enough statistic for you be okay with then again, what’s your problem with refugees?

    Sadly today the hypocritical religious zealots, and I’m not talking about Muslims, think they should run the world. Hopefully we’ll squash them and their irrational superiority complex just as well.

  65. Jill says:

    I am also 100% sure that if many of the people on this thread were refugees trying to get into this country right now, you would not be allowed in because of your blatant extremism, politics and religious zealotism. Much like I’d be surprised if every one of you could name all 50 states AND pass the citizenship test.

  66. Bill Christy says:

    Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, a 41-year-old was Egyptian national. He immigrated to the United States in 1992, he arrived on a tourist visa but claimed political asylum. In Egypt he was arrested for being a member of Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, and Islamist group. He denied the accusation to U.S. immigration authorities. He said that he was a member of Assad Eben Furat Mosque Association, a group that aimed to “understand truly and apply Islamic law in the 20th century under any circumstances.” Despite these Islamist commitments, he was given permission to live in the U.S. while his asylum application was pending. His asylum request was denied in 1995 but a letter notifying him was returned by the Post Office as undeliverable and no further efforts appear to have been made to locate and deport him. Seven (7) years later on July 4, 2002 at around 11:30 a.m., Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, approached the El Al ticket counter at the Los Angeles International Airport, pulled out two Glock pistols and started shooting at the 90 passengers standing in the line. Initially, the assailant killed 25-year-old Customer Service Agent Victoria Hen, who was standing behind the counter, with a gunshot to the chest. Later, the assailant opened fire at the passengers as they huddled nearby and killed 46-year-old passenger Yaakov Aminov. In addition, he injured four other bystanders. After the gunman fired 10 bullets at the crowd, one of El Al’s security guards, who was unarmed, managed to knock him down. Meanwhile, El Al’s security officer, Chaim Sapir, ran to the scene but was stabbed by the assailant with a knife. Despite this, Sapir managed to draw his pistol and kill the gunman.

    Now before you jump on me that this person wasn’t a refugee I agree. This case and the the facts surrounding the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing show that there is a huge gaping hole in our governments ability to protect our citizens. In 2011 Russia’s Federal Security Service told the FBI that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a follower of radical Islam. They provided more than adequate evidence, which basically was not followed up on. In late 2011, the Central Intelligence Agency put both Tsarnaev and his mother on its Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment database. From then until 2013 Tsarnaev had numerous run ins with the law, there was more than enough signals pointing to his extremist Islamic jihadist beliefs. On April 15, 2013 he and his brother carried out the bombings which killed 3 and injured 264 he then murdered a police officer. He was also the prime suspect in the Sept. 11, 2011 murder of 2 Jewish men and their roommate. Their throats were cut with such force they were nearly decapitated.

    Looking at these 2 cases which are 18 years apart it appears little has changed. The results were to terror attacks that killed and maimed innocent American citizens. Our government in a Christian like way threw the Syrian diplomats out of our country last year, back into the same country where these refugees are fleeing from. Americans who want stricter screenings are berated about their Christian values, mocked by the President of our country, yet the POTUS and this government threw Syrian diplomats back into the lions den. How anyone can not see the hypocrisy is beyond me.

  67. IloveJill says:

    What a horrible boring retired life one must lead ( Rick) that the highlight of your day is to call radio talk shows and write on a political blog on every topic!

  68. Dunleve says:

    Bill,

    There would be no reason to keep diplomats of the Assad regime given our intentions. That said, why are we in bed with Saudi Arabia and Quatar, who have been funding Al Nusra in the region as well.

    Jill, in comment after comment you talk down to those who oppose your view, but fail to hold accountable the people responsible for the problems in Syria. Given the insignifigant results of taking 10,000 refugees from Syria, why not spend your efforts in changing policy instead of sticking your fingers in a dike.

  69. pandora says:

    Okay… so telling someone how to better “spend their efforts” isn’t condescending? Go reread your opening comments. Were you really looking for a discussion?

    (And what is it with all the faux civility? The “F” bomb is less offensive than a lot of the stuff written. Oh, I didn’t swear, so I’m civil is BS. And some of the most offensive words follow the statement, “I’m a good Christian, but…” If civility is your bar, then meet it. And yeah, this is something that has been bothering me for a while and not solely directed at this post.)

    As I’ve read through the comments on this thread (as well as the Jesus thread) several things jump out at me:

    1. Many people keep saying we shouldn’t take in the refugees because we need to take care of our own first. Okay, let’s do that! Everyone on board? Because that is going to cost money. So when you say take care of our own I’m assuming you mean housing and employing our veterans, feeding and housing our poor, funding our schools, raising the minimum wage, funding Medicaid, etc..

    All of those things are fine with me, but doing them doesn’t mean we can’t take in refugees, too. We can do both, but I notice how talk of taking care of our own only seems to come up as a reason to not take care of something else. It really comes across as deflection.

    2. Terrorists! When did we become so afraid of, well, almost everything? Yeah, the point of terrorism is to terrorize. Add to that that it is relatively simple to do and accept that this tactic is never going away. Take a look at the Paris attacks. Shooting at diners from a moving car isn’t difficult to pull off. Shooting up a theater is something we’ve seen here, as well. The most complicated thing about those attacks was building the bombs (that didn’t go off where the terrorists wanted them to) and coordinating the timing. The 9/11 terrorists were able to do what they did with box cutters.

    A free and open society comes with risks. If it doesn’t then it isn’t free or open. And if we want to be afraid and calculate our risk then the most immediate threat to us is a guy with a gun. Why aren’t we afraid of that? Given the statistics we should be.

    3. “Let other countries take the refugees!” or “They should stay and fight!” or “They should go to countries close to Syria!” Countries surrounding Syria are being inundated with refugees. Other countries, like us, are trying to take some of the pressure off. More destabilization in the Middle East isn’t a winning proposition. It’s short-sighted and dangerous. It also feeds into ISIS’s claims that we are at war with Islam. I can’t think of a better ISIS recruiting tool, can you? For years we’ve heard the call from our leaders to spread Democracy and our values. What exactly is our refusal to help the refugees spreading? What does that say about our values or our claim of exceptionalism?

    As far as the meme making the rounds about the refugees staying and fighting… ISIS or Bashar al-Assad? Both? With well over 200,000 people dead no wonder people are fleeing. I think we underestimate how difficult it is to pick up and leave your home. Don’t believe me, then try it. Right now. Be sure to only take what you can carry – in many cases what you can carry will be your children. When Americans flee a dangerous neighborhood no one tells them to stay and fight. We praise them for getting out. We also don’t step in to help those struggling communities. Instead we blame them for the problems not caused by the majority.

    We’ve become exceptional at finger pointing from the “safety” of our cul-de-sac bunkers. We’ve become experts in punching down – as if that somehow lifts us up. Struggling communities and schools make our situations look good by comparison. We take mediocrity and call it success… at least compared to the other guy.

    Turning our backs on the Syrian refugees isn’t brave or wise. It’s cowardly. And all the macho tough-talk doesn’t change that. We’re all talk.

  70. fightingbluehen says:

    “Sadly today the hypocritical religious zealots, and I’m not talking about Muslims, think they should run the world. Hopefully we’ll squash them and their irrational superiority complex just as well.”
    What about the Pope? The Pope is considered one of those “religious zealots” ,right? Looking to “squash” the Pope are ya? I don’t know your religion, or if you are religious, but I should think that you would really, really like the Pope, as this would be consistent with the current PC political lockstep that so many young people subscribe to these days.
    Religion, fanaticism, zealotry, they basically carry the same meaning. I would even go as far as to say that those words could be attached to the recent very fanatical global warming movement, and it’s zealous advocates, who “think they should run the world”.

  71. Rick says:

    How many refugees are being welcomed by Muslim nations like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia? Shouldn’t those Muslim countries be welcoming their brethren with open arms? After all, Islam is the religion of peace.

    Middle Eastern refugees are not America’s problem. They are Islam’s problem.

  72. pandora says:

    Well, they are being welcome in Muslim countries like Lebanon (1.1 million), Turkey (1.9 million), Jordan (629,000), Iraq (249,000) and Egypt (132,000). But we take what you say with a grain of salt, Rick, since you don’t consider many actual Americans as America’s problem. You have much more in common with ISIS and groups like the Taliban than you do with Americans – you really do sound exactly like them. (Feel free to insert your typical bigotry here. Maybe another joke about Arabs and swimming? What are you so afraid of? That’s a serious question, btw.)

  73. IloveJill says:

    Rick sitting in his porch at Pot Nets, wife beater on, coffee cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other scratching his head trying to come up with another futile reply!

  74. Rick says:

    Rick sitting in his porch at Pot Nets, wife beater on, coffee cup in one hand and a cigarette in the other scratching his head trying to come up with another futile reply!

    I don’t live in your neighborhood and I’m not married, and I don’t need to scratch my head to do battle with hapless leftists. But I do smoke and drink coffee. So, you’re two-for-five- not a bad average for a lockstep sycophant that’s incapable of independent thought.

    You have much more in common with ISIS and groups like the Taliban than you do with Americans –

    Really? According to the polls I’ve read, the majority of Americans oppose harboring the refugees.

    You really need to spend some time away from the East Coast. Try Texas, Wyoming or Nebraska. You’ll find real America. But be forewarned- you might not like what you see. Out there, they don’t fall for your left-wing drivel and they don’t have PC police. And they all own firearms.

    “Kill the Christian, Jew and the gay man too. Woman, hide thy face and hold thy tongue. Submit! Praise Allah!”

  75. pandora says:

    See? In Rick’s world some Americans are “real” Americans, some are not.

  76. wow says:

    Jill
    I have a newsflash for you. America is the greatest country in the world and if you don’t think so, pack up and move your socialist butt out of the country. I heard ISIS is looking for some more female suicide bombers.

  77. Vivian says:

    So “Wow” you want people to die who don’t agree with you? I certainly do not agree with everything Jill is saying but I still do not want Jill to go and blow herself up. Oh my goodness get a GRIP people!!!!!!!

  78. mouse says:

    I think I’m in love with her lol

  79. No Syrians says:

    pandora these neighboring countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
    the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

  80. No Syrians says:

    aren’t allowing Syrian refugees

  81. Jill says:

    Please do elaborate Wow. Why exactly is America the greatest county? I’d like quantifiable facts and statistics that justify the U.S. being categorically better than any other country at the moment to support your opinion. Again, education is dismal (as some of this feed demonstrates), women aren’t paid as much as men, we’re the only country in the developed world without paid maternity/paternity leave across the board, the race wars are being reignited and innocent Americans are being assaulted and vandalized and degraded by other Americans because of the color of their skin and their religions, and the list goes on.

    And your wishes of death and destruction (as well as Rick’s continued wishes) are much appreciated, especially as the holidays approach. You reinforce the sentiment that some people are simply cancerous to the greater good and wellbeing of others. Your true colors are rather ugly. Thank you for that.

  82. Jill says:

    And I think it is important to note that some gulf countries are not taking the refugees, but they are the largest donors to the relief efforts. Kuwait alone has contributed more than one third of the total funds to date. As a country that predominantly prefers to throw money at problems than actually do anything about them (American slactivism is a completely different rant), that should resonate with many Americans.

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