Posted on 10/17/2006 1:31:30 PM PDT by Zakeet
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. is offering to permanently resettle up to 10,000 refugees from a 12-year civil war in the African country of Burundi, the State Department said Tuesday.
The refugees would be brought to the United States over the next two years with refugee status, and will be given the option of applying for U.S. citizenship, said State Department spokesman Tom Casey.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
Let me beat the anti-immigration zealots to the punch and say that I am glad they are coming.
I wish them well.
I too am OK with genuine asylum seekers, not the sham-farudster variety that we see a lot of in the UK...
Also, I hope these Burundi chaps aren't muzlim....
Why not take in all the refugees from Sudan? Why not take in all the refugees everywhere? Where do you draw the line?
Religion: Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
I am one of those horrible people who says let them all in.
I do favor the government working at re-settlement. I think churches should have very permissive cooperation for bringing in such individuals.
Empirically, I think the evidence for immigration good is overwhelming. I don't want immigrants to bomb us etc. or sneak in as terrorists but I think some of the easiest work we can do in the WOT is allow people to escape these despicable governments.
The overwhelming majority of immigrants will make better citizens that those who were born here. We know this given the large percentage of medal of honor winners in the Iraq war that are immigrants.
Majority of Burundians are Catholic the rest are muslim.
Or is that too un-p.c. in this day and age?
Really nice. - How many are you inviting to stay with your family?
Nonsense and insulting to home born Americans. We certainly do not know this, and neither do you.
You are just saying it.
As well intentioned as this is, remember the cardinal rule: NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.
I am willing to bet that most of these people will become lifelong welfare recipients, although in fairness, most Africans who come here are more productive and successful than the native black population here. But somehow I can't help but think that this will backfire and it will be you and me, the US taxpayer, who will foot the bill.
My church did just bring a family from Zimbabwe. We also brought a family from Sudan this past year. Our churches do work to support these individuals and make a successful transition to American society. We have them in small group Bible studies and related activities.
Incredibly, they are willing to quickly work and adapt to their new surroundings. They do not seek to be freeloaders. I rarely see instances of immigrants being a burden or socially inappropriate. There are instances, but they are probably lower as a perecentage thant the native population-- whom we also work to help as well.
I saw a couple that must have been from the Sudan the other day. They are the polar opposite of the Asian or (fill in the blank successful immigrant story). Whereas the Asian chunks everything including name to try and fit in, these people keep their clothes and customs like they never left. Put me down for don't want them. the couple I saw looked like something out of The Omega Man starring Charleton Heston. Moon faces and covered head to toe in white martyrs robes and the odd tufted head burka thingie. Screw that. We don't need people whe want to rub our faces in it. Diversity that is. We get why they went to that extreme in Africa. The Muslims came in, saw people looking like they were straight from the National Geographic shoot and said COVER YOURSELF YOU FREAKING ANIMALS. So they did. At gunpoint no doubt. We aren't Sub Sahara Africa. Get with our program please. Ditch the crap that sets you apart and try to fit in. Just a little, mmkay?
Why doesn't Madonna adopt them?
Who said the following:
"Since the Civil War, Americans of Hispanic descent have been winning Medals of Honor. To this date, there have been 36 such winners, an incredible number, all out of proportion to the percentage of the Hispanic population in our country. The stories of these Americans, the stories of many of you here today who were wounded, decorated, and promoted in your country's service, account for some of the most astonishing acts of valor and personal sacrifice in the history of our nation's armed services."
Hint: It was an American President.
You are going to lose this debate on Hispanic medals of honor.
Source? Names?
Go ahead.
Answer the quotation question (post 16) and we will go headlong into this debate if you wish.
HA!
I wonder what skills they will bring to our economy?
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