Editor: Yes! I am still combing through my hundreds of e-mails to find the testimony you sent to the US State Department in response to the DOS request for public comment on the “size and scope” of the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program for FY2017.
The day before the deadline for submission of testimony I noticed (maybe you were all ahead of me and noticed!) that the dates were wrong in the Federal Register. I happened to see a comment sent by lawyers to the DOS asking that the comment period be re-opened because citizens, who might like to have testified, didn’t think the notice was for a comment period this year, but for last year. See here.
It is not selfish to put America First!
To PRM from Adrienne,
States should have final control over resettlement activities within their state borders. Until there is evaluation of and FULL DISCLOSURE of the costs and other impacts associated with resettling the thousands of refugees, I am strongly opposed to continuing the Refugee Admissions Program for 2017. The program should be suspended or put on hold until the costs and impacts have been revealed to the American public.
Schools are overburdened, with some now having 75 different languages. The education of our children will be impacted as teachers try to address the additional language, learning and emotional difficulties inherent in refugee children.
In addition to the burdens to the American people in more ways than just increased taxes, fewer jobs, and less care for our Veterans and Seniors, there is a danger in not properly vetting people from areas where there is a predominant ideology to destroy those who do not believe as they do.
I live not far from San Bernardino, where this ideology was espoused by terrorists who killed people who had just given him and his wife a baby shower! Isn’t this much like the good will extended to refugees as they settle in other towns? There was evidence from the wife’s Facebook page that she had pledged allegiance to ISIS.
Certainly we need to take the time to ensure that each individual refugee has a clean past. The vetting process MUST NOT be shortened to anything less than the 18-24 month standard. The responsibility to protect American citizens falls upon your department. Please do not let us down.
It is not selfish to put America first, because only when we are great can we lend a helping hand to those in need.
This is the seventeenth testimony in our series leading up to the deadline for comments to the Dept. of State on May 19th. Go here for where they are archived to see what your fellow citizens have said.
I intend to keep posting testimonies, a few a day, until I have exhausted my long list! I had no idea so many of you would respond to my offer! But, thank you for your hard work!
P.S. I should have mentioned it, but I have been adding photos and other images just to jazz up the plain text, I hope you all don’t mind!