Truth-be-told, it would be an overwhelming majority (not 53%) if the general public had any knowledge (as you do, as readers of RRW) about how the process works and who is getting paid to ‘help’ the mostly economic migrants (not refugees!) get here. This poll and our previous post should send a message to Republican candidates this fall!
Here is the AP story (hat tip: Judy). Emphasis is mine:
Americans are wary of granting refugee status to children crossing the U.S. border to flee strife-torn countries in Central America, and most in an Associated Press-GfK poll say the U.S. does not have a moral obligation to accept asylum seekers generally.
The new poll found 53 percent of Americans believe the United States has no moral obligation to offer asylum to people who escape violence or political persecution, while 44 percent believe it has that responsibility.
And more than half, 52 percent, say children who say they are fleeing gang violence in Central America should not be treated as refugees, while 46 percent say they should.
The responses expose a partisan rift, with 70 percent of Republicans saying Central American children should not be treated as refugees compared with 62 percent of Democrats who believe they should. On whether the United States has an obligation to accept people fleeing violence or political persecution, 66 percent of Republicans say it does not and 57 percent of Democrats say it does. [Republican primary candidates challenging the establishment, take note!—ed]
So that would mean that a whopping 43% of Democrats also believe we have no obligation even in the case of political persecution—wow!
AP goes on to define the word “refugee:”
To qualify for asylum, applicants must prove they suffered persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group or political opinion. A refugee must demonstrate the same but, unlike an asylum seeker, seeks protection while still outside the United States.
Note there is not one word in that largely correct definition that says anything about “fleeing violence.”
About the photo: Just so you know, we have resettled 6,080 Somalis to the US this fiscal year and 2,414 came here through Kenya supposedly fleeing violence. If Obama keeps this up, he will soon catch up to George W. Bush in the number of Somalis brought to your home towns!
Check the FY2014 stats here.