The residents of our country are reacting with mixed emotions to the refugee situation in Syria. Some favor welcoming those who are displaced while others prefer to consider the safety of our inhabitants first. I think that most of us
The residents of our country are reacting with mixed emotions to the refugee situation in Syria. Some favor welcoming those who are displaced while others prefer to consider the safety of our inhabitants first. I think that most of us see both sides of the argument but are leaning toward the safety consideration aspect after viewing the carnage in Paris caused by the militants.
The governor of Hawaii, for some reason, chose to enter the discussion by expressing his favorable decision to invite some of these refugees to our state. Like most of my friends, I, too, would have kept out of that discussion until more information became available. However, when the governor included the term “aloha” in his decision, that aroused the Hawaiian in me.
While studying history in elementary school, we learned that the early settlers in America struggled to establish themselves. They then chose to disengage themselves from the British and even fought bloody battles to gain that freedom. America then welcomed people from all over the world to its shores. These were people who were seeking a better life through the opportunities America offered. They learned the language and blended into the culture. They pledged their allegiance, put on the U.S. uniform and even chose to fight in wars that involved their motherlands. Together, they built this nation up to become an unmatched super power.
The “American dream” at one time was the freedom to attain one’s ability to work and support a family while persuing the dream of being one’s own boss via entrepreneurship. It seems that some of the new immigrants to this country now believe the American dream is to be able to come to this country and have the citizens support them, adapt to their culture, learn their language, and allow them the freedom of speech to denounce our country. All this goes on while some of our elected officials sit idly by reflecting that we all came to America as immigrants. We borrow hundreds of billions of dollars to pay the interest on trillions of dollars we have already borrowed to pay on debts we already owe to accommodate their philosophy.
While in its early years, America overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii without firing a shot and established its military presence in the middle of the Pacific. We became a part of the U.S., pledged allegiance, and were proud to fight for “our” country.
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, America was caught off guard but pulled together and overcame a formidable adversary. When fighting the war against the British, doing so on the home turf may have been an advantage. The war against Germany taught the world that it is better to fight wars away from home to avoid the civilian casualties.
Today, we have other countries begging for our help to set them free from tyrants and we try to find political solutions as we “lead from behind” or do what seems to be just enough to look involved. So now that there are hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrian refugees, we offer to bring some of them to our country. Unlike when America was being settled by immigrants who were seeking a better life through opportunities, some of these immigrants are fleeing their homeland, refusing to fight for their lives.
What has happened to America? Would it not be better to help these Syrians get rid of the intruders away from our home and allow these refugees to remain in their homeland? As it stands, we are allowing ISIS, the cause for the Syrian refugee situation and the same terrorists who have vowed to annihilate us, to gain strength and territory.
In Hawaii, we greet each other with the term aloha. Aloha translated into English means “I face you with breath (life)” and the response is normally aloha in return, expressing mutuality. The fact that our greetings begin with the term aloha and the aggressors in Paris commit their acts while expressing the term “Allah Akbar” should caution us to be a little more vigilant before expressing our aloha. Then again, who gave the governor the right to greet the Syrian refugees utilizing the term aloha? He has the right to say “I greet you with aloha” (whatever that means to him) but not as a representative of we, the Hawaiians of Hawaii. Remember, aloha means I, singular, face you with life. The vetting process for these refugees should be more vigilant especially when the response could be Allah Akbar, the last words we hear before the explosion. I think we deserve a little more caution from our politicians.
Leningrad Elarionoff is a resident of Waimea.
My Turn opinions are the opinion of the writer and not necessarily of West Hawaii Today.
