Sorry for being the one to start this, but it's 11 am and I need some entertainment! The most unpopular of opinions can be stated here. Let the butthurt begin! Lol!
I think shopping on Black Friday is ridiculous. I rather spend the extra$ then deal with rowdy pushy people. These door buster things are nuts, and no you shouldn't be shopping on Thanksgiving Day! Its insane.
If you're being paid VERY well to work, you should be putting in more effort than the bare minimum - and not emitting a crappy ass attitude. Be thankful you have a job in this economy and work to keep it.
everytime I see someone post that they don't want to allow Syrian refugees to be admitted to the US and still have their stupid prayers for paris profile pic on facebook I want to throw my phone across the room.
DHs uncle is notorious for posting stupid crap all the time and he keeps doing it. "prayers for paris"... but really only the white people. He posted something saying if someone were to offer you 10 grapes and 2 were poisoned would you eat them? No? well then we shouldn't allow refugees in because they may be terrorists. WHAT THE BALLS?!?! YOU MAKE NO SENSE.
I may think of some more but this one is going to have to do for now. This springs from an entertaining thread earlier this week.
I don't think it's tacky to have some sort of celebration for your baby if you are a STM, TTM, FTM, whatever, as long as it's not with the intention of being gift-grabby. I think babies are awesome and should be celebrated, and the fact that your family is growing should also be celebrated.
I also don't think it's super tacky to throw one yourself if no one else is in a position to do so. I would think that your friends and family (if they indeed care about you) would be happy to attend such a celebration no matter who is hosting it. As an example, there was talk of doing a second shower for my baby (though I am a FTM) in the state where my parents live since they and my childhood/family friends still live down there. My mom is way too busy to throw one down there herself and I only have one friend (my childhood BFF) who is THAT close to me where she would want to throw one, but she's not super organized or in a position to do that. We settled on the one shower here in VT and inviting the NH people, knowing most will not be able to make it. However, if it were absolutely important to me, I probably would have volunteered to collaborate with my mom and friend so that I could see those folks.
everytime I see someone post that they don't want to allow Syrian refugees to be admitted to the US and still have their stupid prayers for paris profile pic on facebook I want to throw my phone across the room.
DHs uncle is notorious for posting stupid crap all the time and he keeps doing it. "prayers for paris"... but really only the white people. He posted something saying if someone were to offer you 10 grapes and 2 were poisoned would you eat them? No? well then we shouldn't allow refugees in because they may be terrorists. WHAT THE BALLS?!?! YOU MAKE NO SENSE.
Ugh yes I saw one with M&Ms. Yes, because human lives can be equated with an m&m. I also hate the "well liberals want them in so just go live in their house and they'll feed and clothe you for free!"
I think shopping on Black Friday is ridiculous. I rather spend the extra$ then deal with rowdy pushy people. These door buster things are nuts, and no you shouldn't be shopping on Thanksgiving Day! Its insane.
I agree 100% its gotten out of hand recently and over here its downright dangerous. You are more likely to get a broken bone than the hottest toy during those stampedes, no thank you
I may think of some more but this one is going to have to do for now. This springs from an entertaining thread earlier this week.
I don't think it's tacky to have some sort of celebration for your baby if you are a STM, TTM, FTM, whatever, as long as it's not with the intention of being gift-grabby. I think babies are awesome and should be celebrated, and the fact that your family is growing should also be celebrated.
I also don't think it's super tacky to throw one yourself if no one else is in a position to do so. I would think that your friends and family (if they indeed care about you) would be happy to attend such a celebration no matter who is hosting it. As an example, there was talk of doing a second shower for my baby (though I am a FTM) in the state where my parents live since they and my childhood/family friends still live down there. My mom is way too busy to throw one down there herself and I only have one friend (my childhood BFF) who is THAT close to me where she would want to throw one, but she's not super organized or in a position to do that. We settled on the one shower here in VT and inviting the NH people, knowing most will not be able to make it. However, if it were absolutely important to me, I probably would have volunteered to collaborate with my mom and friend so that I could see those folks.
FLAME AWAY )
I don't think there's any way around it not looking gift grabby. "Celebrating" baby to me means bring gifts. IMO if you're not offered a shower thrown you don't do one yourself. I think people will "celebrate" baby if they truly wanted to do so.
everytime I see someone post that they don't want to allow Syrian refugees to be admitted to the US and still have their stupid prayers for paris profile pic on facebook I want to throw my phone across the room.
DHs uncle is notorious for posting stupid crap all the time and he keeps doing it. "prayers for paris"... but really only the white people. He posted something saying if someone were to offer you 10 grapes and 2 were poisoned would you eat them? No? well then we shouldn't allow refugees in because they may be terrorists. WHAT THE BALLS?!?! YOU MAKE NO SENSE.
Ugh yes I saw one with M&Ms. Yes, because human lives can be equated with an m&m. I also hate the "well liberals want them in so just go live in their house and they'll feed and clothe you for free!"
This pisses me off. I feel like the politicians are taking advantage of people's fear to further their campaign agenda. I am a registered republican and couldn't be further away from being a bleeding heart liberal. However, I do not see this refugee issue as a political one, and it should not be. It should go beyond our political stance. This is about the fundamental humanity; it's about human lives of the people who feel that they have no choice but to risk their lives and the lives of their children to escape from the violence in Syria, to escape from the same set of people who we regard as vicious and violent terrorists. As we sit here, safely in the US, we cannot imagine the everyday fear and horror they go through to make that decision to pay money to smugglers and cross that sea for safety, knowing full well that hundreds and thousands of people die trying. We should not be turning our backs on them. We should try to implement a better system to document and keep track of them once we let them in.
^Yes to everything said about refugees. I think literal smoke will pour out of my ears if I hear another person say, "How about we take care of our homeless and our veterans first?" Well that's funny, since you're not particularly interested in helping those people any other time! But it's totally cool to use them as a political prop and a reason for not helping desperate people who are in a COMPLETELY different, more desperate situation? Okay.
everytime I see someone post that they don't want to allow Syrian refugees to be admitted to the US and still have their stupid prayers for paris profile pic on facebook I want to throw my phone across the room.
DHs uncle is notorious for posting stupid crap all the time and he keeps doing it. "prayers for paris"... but really only the white people. He posted something saying if someone were to offer you 10 grapes and 2 were poisoned would you eat them? No? well then we shouldn't allow refugees in because they may be terrorists. WHAT THE BALLS?!?! YOU MAKE NO SENSE.
Ugh yes I saw one with M&Ms. Yes, because human lives can be equated with an m&m. I also hate the "well liberals want them in so just go live in their house and they'll feed and clothe you for free!"
This pisses me off. I feel like the politicians are taking advantage of people's fear to further their campaign agenda. I am a registered republican and couldn't be further away from being a bleeding heart liberal. However, I do not see this refugee issue as a political one, and it should not be. It should go beyond our political stance. This is about the fundamental humanity; it's about human lives of the people who feel that they have no choice but to risk their lives and the lives of their children to escape from the violence in Syria, to escape from the same set of people who we regard as vicious and violent terrorists. As we sit here, safely in the US, we cannot imagine the everyday fear and horror they go through to make that decision to pay money to smugglers and cross that sea for safety, knowing full well that hundreds and thousands of people die trying. We should not be turning our backs on them. We should try to implement a better system to document and keep track of them once we let them in.
OMG, YES. I AGREE WITH ALL OF THIS 100% WHOLEHEARTEDLY. It's not a political issue, it's a human issue.
everytime I see someone post that they don't want to allow Syrian refugees to be admitted to the US and still have their stupid prayers for paris profile pic on facebook I want to throw my phone across the room.
DHs uncle is notorious for posting stupid crap all the time and he keeps doing it. "prayers for paris"... but really only the white people. He posted something saying if someone were to offer you 10 grapes and 2 were poisoned would you eat them? No? well then we shouldn't allow refugees in because they may be terrorists. WHAT THE BALLS?!?! YOU MAKE NO SENSE.
Thank you! I'm really feeling sick over this. I can barely stand my Facebook lately. I get people have their own opinions but some of the things my "friends" are sharing have crossed the line into racism. I'm seeing some posts that really frighten me.. One by my SIL and I'm like really? You needed to do that? It is making me so sad to hear all these horrible comments. Maybe it's because I'm a mom now and I know that if my kids were growing up surrounded by war and death I'd do anything possible to get them out. I get that we have to be cautious but you can't assume they are all terrorists. The full blown racism is scaring the crap out of me, especially involving the Muslims who already live in our country. I read a mosque was burned down here in Canada the other day. So heartbreaking.
Baby #3 due February. Dx with Spina Bifida Myelo "good things are coming down the road, just don't stop walking"
I loath seeing all these memes on both sides of the refugee issue. This is something that has been very near to my heart for years now. Way before ISIS and the Syria issue. Most people posting about not letting refugees into the country have no idea that there is a very detailed system in place and we actually bring in 50,000 to 70,000 refugees a year and the people they say they don't want have been coming into the country for YEARS now. This isn't some new scary thing. Those that make posts about wanting to bring all the refugees into the country have probably never set foot into one of the thousands of refugee resettlement communities in the U.S. because they blindly assume the government is taking care them. So not the case. The U.S. welcomes more refugees than any other country in the world and then drops them in the poorest, most dangerous communities in the country. The government isn't equipped to handle all of them so small private organizations try to take over but the sheer number of people being relocated means that way too many families slip through the cracks. These families need help filling out their green card paperwork. They need help navigating the health care system because most of them will need care for treatable diseases and a huge list of vaccines. They need help finding work and transportation to their jobs. They need help getting clothes, food, learning the language, so many things that anyone could help with. But we just dump them off here and assume someone else will take care of it. If everyone was as genuinely concerned and sickened by this as they say they are, a lot less of the thousands of families being located here every day would be living in extreme poverty. If everyone that is so worried about people being relocated here actually knew their facts, they'd know that, by their logic, there would be a lot more tragedies happening within our boarders than what actually happen. Okay...I'm done....for now lol
^Yes to everything said about refugees. I think literal smoke will pour out of my ears if I hear another person say, "How about we take care of our homeless and our veterans first?" Well that's funny, since you're not particularly interested in helping those people any other time! But it's totally cool to use them as a political prop and a reason for not helping desperate people who are in a COMPLETELY different, more desperate situation? Okay.
Fun fact. There are non-Syrian terrorists. Shocker, I know. :sarcasm: Some of which are already in the US. Refusing to accept Syrian refugees will not "protect" us from anything.
I cannot stand the chatter that has ensued on FB about this. I personally haven't posted anything, but having to read racists crap makes me so angry.
And you better believe that if I was in the situation that some of these refugees/"illegal" immigrants are in, I would do ANYTHING in my power to get my children/family to safety. Beg, borrow, sneak into a country. Don't care. And I'd question anyone that says they wouldn't do the same for their children.
Wow I think I need to facebook friend all of you because I was seriously about ready to lose my hope in humanity. Some of the misinformation, fear mongering, and down right hateful things I have seen on facebook over the last few days have made me sad to my deep core.
^Yes to everything said about refugees. I think literal smoke will pour out of my ears if I hear another person say, "How about we take care of our homeless and our veterans first?" Well that's funny, since you're not particularly interested in helping those people any other time! But it's totally cool to use them as a political prop and a reason for not helping desperate people who are in a COMPLETELY different, more desperate situation? Okay.
For me; it really does irk me that people are willing to magically create money and space for refugees and not veterans. BUT I say this as a person who actively goes out and helps them, not just giving them money but by helping them with job applications and I let them shower and rest in our home when I can. My husband is going away for thanksgiving so this year I made blankets and (will be making) food to take to them as well. I'd like to help everyone in need but personally I AM going to help those who have helped and served me first. It pisses me off when people can blindly look away from a veteran shivering but are the first to throw money at people we know little about. That being said; I'm not cursing the refugees either. I'm just saying I'm not going to change what I'm doing or my focus and I am going to remain bitter towards those who don't help our own. I've been bitter about it for years and I will continue to be regaurdless of the refugee situation. I don't have spare change, so to say, for the refugees so I'll hope for the best for them and do what I can, but my attention remains to the veterans. I also don't go around saying this to people. This is the first time I've brought it up, actually.
Edit: my UO was really a FFFC; But here's my real UO; People who tell me "all you can do is pray" or "at least you saw it coming" about my grandma's impending death. I appreciate it when people pray For me and if they ask I'll pray for them because they believe it helps, but I don't believe that prayers will solve my problems and everyone I know knows that. It isn't how my views work. And then trying to say "well mine died suddenly" like I should feel bad that she has cancer and is now violent due to medications? Some people..
^Yes to everything said about refugees. I think literal smoke will pour out of my ears if I hear another person say, "How about we take care of our homeless and our veterans first?" Well that's funny, since you're not particularly interested in helping those people any other time! But it's totally cool to use them as a political prop and a reason for not helping desperate people who are in a COMPLETELY different, more desperate situation? Okay.
For me; it really does irk me that people are willing to magically create money and space for refugees and not veterans. BUT I say this as a person who actively goes out and helps them, not just giving them money but by helping them with job applications and I let them shower and rest in our home when I can. My husband is going away for thanksgiving so this year I made blankets and (will be making) food to take to them as well. I'd like to help everyone in need but personally I AM going to help those who have helped and served me first. It pisses me off when people can blindly look away from a veteran shivering but are the first to throw money at people we know little about.
That being said; I'm not cursing the refugees either. I'm just saying I'm not going to change what I'm doing or my focus and I am going to remain bitter towards those who don't help our own. I've been bitter about it for years and I will continue to be regaurdless of the refugee situation. I don't have spare change, so to say, for the refugees so I'll hope for the best for them and do what I can, but my attention remains to the veterans.
I also don't go around saying this to people. This is the first time I've brought it up, actually.
Ps, sorry about your ears.
The two do not have to be mutually exclusive. We can help both. I have solicited for donations on behalf of military non-profits only to be ignored by these people who now are claiming we can't help refugees because we should help our veterans first. OK really? Where were your concerns for our veterans before? The point is not that caring for our veterans is bad or that it should not be a priority, it's that using our veterans as a "political prop" as AdventureMama says is completely unacceptable. If you care as you do, then this should piss you the f*ck off too as it is a cause that you truly fight for, not just something you throw into an argument to support your current position on an unrelated topic.
^Yes to everything said about refugees. I think literal smoke will pour out of my ears if I hear another person say, "How about we take care of our homeless and our veterans first?" Well that's funny, since you're not particularly interested in helping those people any other time! But it's totally cool to use them as a political prop and a reason for not helping desperate people who are in a COMPLETELY different, more desperate situation? Okay.
For me; it really does irk me that people are willing to magically create money and space for refugees and not veterans. BUT I say this as a person who actively goes out and helps them, not just giving them money but by helping them with job applications and I let them shower and rest in our home when I can. My husband is going away for thanksgiving so this year I made blankets and (will be making) food to take to them as well. I'd like to help everyone in need but personally I AM going to help those who have helped and served me first. It pisses me off when people can blindly look away from a veteran shivering but are the first to throw money at people we know little about. That being said; I'm not cursing the refugees either. I'm just saying I'm not going to change what I'm doing or my focus and I am going to remain bitter towards those who don't help our own. I've been bitter about it for years and I will continue to be regaurdless of the refugee situation. I don't have spare change, so to say, for the refugees so I'll hope for the best for them and do what I can, but my attention remains to the veterans. I also don't go around saying this to people. This is the first time I've brought it up, actually.
Ps, sorry about your ears.
The two do not have to be mutually exclusive. We can help both. I have solicited for donations on behalf of military non-profits only to be ignored by these people who now are claiming we can't help refugees because we should help our veterans first. OK really? Where were your concerns for our veterans before? The point is not that caring for our veterans is bad or that it should not be a priority, it's that using our veterans as a "political prop" as AdventureMama says is completely unacceptable. If you care as you do, then this should piss you the f*ck off too as it is a cause that you truly fight for, not just something you throw into an argument to support your current position on an unrelated topic. ---quote fail--- I'm talking from a money and donation stand point. I have already spent my extra expenses and can not at this time afford both, like I said. I'm not denying the refugees but I can't give them money to help in their travels. I also live in MD which has moved against them so there won't be any here to help with jobs/food/housing. I WISH I could do more, I just wanted to bring up that I am one of the people who is fighting for veterans rights still while this is going on. I am in no way using it against the refugees though.
The whole thing pisses me off. You know what REALLY pisses me off? I'm pregnant and can't go on deployment with the rest of my team in response to these ISIS issues. I also HATE when people say Islam is a violent religion or Muslims are bad. NO. ISIS is bad. ISIS takes the Quran and makes t something different.
^Yes to everything said about refugees. I think literal smoke will pour out of my ears if I hear another person say, "How about we take care of our homeless and our veterans first?" Well that's funny, since you're not particularly interested in helping those people any other time! But it's totally cool to use them as a political prop and a reason for not helping desperate people who are in a COMPLETELY different, more desperate situation? Okay.
For me; it really does irk me that people are willing to magically create money and space for refugees and not veterans. BUT I say this as a person who actively goes out and helps them, not just giving them money but by helping them with job applications and I let them shower and rest in our home when I can. My husband is going away for thanksgiving so this year I made blankets and (will be making) food to take to them as well. I'd like to help everyone in need but personally I AM going to help those who have helped and served me first. It pisses me off when people can blindly look away from a veteran shivering but are the first to throw money at people we know little about. That being said; I'm not cursing the refugees either. I'm just saying I'm not going to change what I'm doing or my focus and I am going to remain bitter towards those who don't help our own. I've been bitter about it for years and I will continue to be regaurdless of the refugee situation. I don't have spare change, so to say, for the refugees so I'll hope for the best for them and do what I can, but my attention remains to the veterans. I also don't go around saying this to people. This is the first time I've brought it up, actually.
Ps, sorry about your ears.
Not the same at all, so no steam here. I was referring to conservatives on my feed (and in politics in general) using the rhetoric to argue against refugees when in reality they do everything they can NOT to help the homeless/veterans/the lowest class. These are people who, every other day of their lives, oppose VA bills, try to criminalize homelessness, support cutting welfare programs, oppose healthcare for the poor, talk about how the disabled or those on unemployment are "just trying to get a free ride from the state", etc etc. But now, conveniently, they can claim we can't possibly help refugees until we "take care of our own" when they had absolutely no interest in doing that before.
We already suck at taking care of refugees. Thats what nobody is talking about. We want to be outraged that refugees are turned away but we do nothing to help the refugees that are coming into the U.S. by the 1000s. But the truth is more and more come in every day from all over the world escaping horrors we can't imagine and they are essentially fed to the wolves here. One of the families I worked with and helped relocate out of the inner city had sex traffickers contacting their daughter. We were able to intercept the calls and contact the proper authorities to stop it. However, most of the time, that is not the case because not enough of us are willing to help. There are plenty of outraged people but not outraged enough to help. Just as simple as driving someone to work and befriending them can make all the difference.
My disclaimer is that I admit that I am a bit heartless at times, with that said, here it goes. I understand people are upset that some of the 'pro refugee' people aren't as vocal and caring about our own homeless and the poor in this country. However, if a homeless guy knocks on my door, I may send him away with something to eat, but I probably won't let him into my house. If I see someone holding their child knocking on my door because there's some scary looking dude with a gun chasing them down to kill them, yeah, I would open my home to them so that they can be safe and not get killed.
My disclaimer is that I admit that I am a bit heartless at times, with that said, here it goes. I understand people are upset that some of the 'pro refugee' people aren't as vocal and caring about our own homeless and the poor in this country. However, if a homeless guy knocks on my door, I may send him away with something to eat, but I probably won't let him into my house. If I see someone holding their child knocking on my door because there's some scary looking dude with a gun chasing them down to kill them, yeah, I would open my home to them so that they can be safe and not get killed.
I think this is the perfect analogy in comparing the two. Veterans face all sorts of issues that are poorly addressed and do need our help and support. However, they are not in the immediate, perpetual jeopardy of losing their lives and the lives of their families.
We already suck at taking care of refugees. Thats what nobody is talking about. We want to be outraged that refugees are turned away but we do nothing to help the refugees that are coming into the U.S. by the 1000s. But the truth is more and more come in every day from all over the world escaping horrors we can't imagine and they are essentially fed to the wolves here. One of the families I worked with and helped relocate out of the inner city had sex traffickers contacting their daughter. We were able to intercept the calls and contact the proper authorities to stop it. However, most of the time, that is not the case because not enough of us are willing to help. There are plenty of outraged people but not outraged enough to help. Just as simple as driving someone to work and befriending them can make all the difference.
Thanks for posting this! I didn't know that.
Do you have suggestions for ways those of us who truly do want to help can educate ourselves and get involved?
There are two major organizations that work with refugees and then several small private groups under that. Lutheran family services and catholic charities. However they are mostly government funded so it's very hard to get ahold of someone that'll be helpful but it's always worth a try. Just about every major city has a large refugee community so I'd say your best bet is to google refugee resettlement programs in your area, especially unaccompanied minor programs. The smaller private organizations are usually unique to each area but are always looking for volunteers!
I just get irritated because our congressmen know about this and they don't get the information out there so people don't know! It's better for them to have both sides fighting like cats and dogs when there are real things people can do to help!
@AdventureMama, I can't remember how close you are to Seattle? (Or maybe not at all, I can't remember). There are a ton of organizations there that we used to work with.
I just get irritated because our congressmen know about this and they don't get the information out there so people don't know! It's better for them to have both sides fighting like cats and dogs when there are real things people can do to help!
What's the opposite or progress if con is the opposite of pro.. Seriously best analogy to explain it, ever.
My UO stems from my new job where i have encountered this more times than i can count and maybe i'm a bitch but.. i think if you live here in the US, you should at least learn the most basic english. at least, just at least be able to understand the most basic of words. i just couldn't fathom moving to another country and expecting to be able to get by with having people try to find some sort of translator for me. Or expecting people to know my language simply because i live there. I don't care if hispanics come across the border, i really don't.. but please, please just don't expect me to learn your language because you wanted to live here.
and please don't think i'm against immigration. like i said, i don't care about the borders, just a little consideration would be nice if you choose to move to another country.
My UO stems from my new job where i have encountered this more times than i can count and maybe i'm a bitch but.. i think if you live here in the US, you should at least learn the most basic english. at least, just at least be able to understand the most basic of words. i just couldn't fathom moving to another country and expecting to be able to get by with having people try to find some sort of translator for me. Or expecting people to know my language simply because i live there. I don't care if hispanics come across the border, i really don't.. but please, please just don't expect me to learn your language because you wanted to live here.
and please don't think i'm against immigration. like i said, i don't care about the borders, just a little consideration would be nice if you choose to move to another country.
I get that. I lived in Thailand off and on growing up and I had to learn the basics. Otherwise we were just using hand signals lol. I was living their country so I learned as much as I could of their language in the time was there. It's just what you do. They are certainly not obligated to learn English in their own country.
@g0lightly8706 I completely agree!! I have friends stationed in Japan who took classes (and still are) even though their whole community speaks English. I learned a bit of Korean before I deployed, that was HARD and I SUCKED but I still did. I don't remember a single word lol. Not saying they should write a 3,000 word essay in proper English, but in ANY country, you should respect them enough to learn the basics. 100% agree!
Exactly! I guess it's just common courtesy, you move to another country, you at least try to learn the basics and not solely depend on the locals to try to figure out how to communicate with you. It just depresses me to know that common sense and courtesy seem to be dead these days, I guess.
@AdventureMama this isn't for helping refugees in the states, and more for rescue on the sea, but I learned about MOAS (migrant offshore aid station) earlier this year when that picture of Syrian boy's body that washed ashore made headlines. It's a private group that funds ships on Mediterranean Sea to help rescue people. Www.moas.eu (I don't know how to add hyperlink on mobile)
This popped up on my fb feed today from a guy who practices immigration law. I thought this was helpful in understanding the refugee process in the US. I was not aware of the extensive process they already go through in accepting refugees, and I thought this was a helpful overview of the process. (But it is long)
Most of my friends know I practice Immigration law. As such, I have worked with the refugee community for over two decades. This post is long, but if you want actual information about the process, keep reading.
I can not tell you how frustrating it is to see the misinformation and outright lies that are being perpetuated about the refugee process and the Syrian refugees. So, here is a bit of information from the real world of someone who actually works and deals with this issue.
The refugee screening process is multi-layered and is very difficult to get through. Most people languish in temporary camps for months to years while their story is evaluated and checked.
First, you do not get to choose what country you might be resettled into. If you already have family (legal) in a country, that makes it more likely that you will go there to be with family, but other than that it is random. So, you can not simply walk into a refugee camp, show a document, and say, I want to go to America. Instead, the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees) works with the local authorities to try to take care of basic needs. Once the person/family is registered to receive basic necessities, they can be processed for resettlement. Many people are not interested in resettlement as they hope to return to their country and are hoping that the turmoil they fled will be resolved soon. In fact, most refugees in refugee events never resettle to a third country. Those that do want to resettle have to go through an extensive process.
Resettlement in the U.S. is a long process and takes many steps. The Refugee Admissions Program is jointly administered by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) in the Department of State, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within DHS conducts refugee interviews and determines individual eligibility for refugee status in the United States.
We evaluate refugees on a tiered system with three levels of priority.
First Priority are people who have suffered compelling persecution or for whom no other durable solution exists. These individuals are referred to the United States by UNHCR, or they are identified by the U.S. embassy or a non-governmental organization (NGO).
Second priority are groups of “special concern” to the United States. The Department of State determines these groups, with input from USCIS, UNHCR, and designated NGOs. At present, we prioritize certain persons from the former Soviet Union, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Iran, Burma, and Bhutan.
Third priority are relatives of refugees (parents, spouses, and unmarried children under 21) who are already settled in the United States may be admitted as refugees. The U.S.-based relative must file an Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) and must be processed by DHS.
Before being allowed to come to the United States, each refugee must undergo an extensive interviewing, screening, and security clearance process conducted by Regional Refugee Coordinators and overseas Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs). Individuals generally must not already be firmly resettled (a legal term of art that would be a separate article). Just because one falls into the three priorities above does not guarantee admission to the United States.
The Immigration laws require that the individuals prove that they have a “well-founded fear,” (another legal term which would be a book.) This fear must be proved regardless of the person’s country, circumstance, or classification in a priority category. There are multiple interviews and people are challenged on discrepancies. I had a client who was not telling the truth on her age and the agency challenged her on it. Refugees are not simply admitted because they have a well founded fear. They still must show that they are not subject to exclusion under Section 212(a) of the INA. These grounds include serious health matters, moral or criminal matters, as well as security issues. In addition, they can be excluded for such things as polygamy, misrepresentation of facts on visa applications, smuggling, or previous deportations. Under some circumstances, the person may be eligible to have the ground waived.
At this point, a refugee can be conditionally accepted for resettlement. Then, the RSC sends a request for assurance of placement to the United States, and the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) works with private voluntary agencies (VOLAG) to determine where the refugee will live. If the refugee does have family in the U.S., efforts will be made to resettle close to that family.
Every person accepted as a refugee for planned admission to the United States is conditional upon passing a medical examination and passing all security checks. Frankly, there is more screening of refugees than ever happens to get on an airplane. Of course, yes, no system can be 100% foolproof. But if that is your standard, then you better shut down the entire airline industry, close the borders, and stop all international commerce and shipping. Every one of those has been the source of entry of people and are much easier ways to gain access to the U.S. Only upon passing all of these checks (which involve basically every agency of the government involved in terrorist identification) can the person actually be approved to travel.
Before departing, refugees sign a promissory note to repay the United States for their travel costs. This travel loan is an interest-free loan that refugees begin to pay back six months after arriving in the country.
Once the VOLAG is notified of the travel plans, it must arrange for the reception of refugees at the airport and transportation to their housing at their final destination. This process from start to finish averages 18 to 24 months, but I have seen it take years.
The reality is that about half of the refugees are children, another quarter are elderly. Almost all of the adults are either moms or couples coming with children. Each year the President, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, the proposed ceiling is 85,000. We have been averaging about 70,000 a year for the last number of years. (Source: Refugee Processing Center)
Over one-third of all refugee arrivals (35.1 percent, or 24,579) in FY 2015 came from the Near East/South Asia—a region that includes Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, and Afghanistan. Another third of all refugee arrivals (32.1 percent, or 22,472) in FY 2015 came from Africa. Over a quarter of all refugee arrivals (26.4 percent, or 18,469) in FY 2015 came from East Asia — a region that includes China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. (Source: Refugee Processing Center)
Finally, the process in Europe is different. I would be much more concerned that terrorists are infiltrating the European system because they are not nearly so extensive and thorough in their process.
My UO stems from my new job where i have encountered this more times than i can count and maybe i'm a bitch but.. i think if you live here in the US, you should at least learn the most basic english. at least, just at least be able to understand the most basic of words. i just couldn't fathom moving to another country and expecting to be able to get by with having people try to find some sort of translator for me. Or expecting people to know my language simply because i live there. I don't care if hispanics come across the border, i really don't.. but please, please just don't expect me to learn your language because you wanted to live here.
and please don't think i'm against immigration. like i said, i don't care about the borders, just a little consideration would be nice if you choose to move to another country.
I think this is such a more complex and complicated issue than what's being conveyed here. What initially irked me about this post was that you specifically targeted the Latino population as being the immigrants that do not speak or understand English, when of course we are a very ethnically diverse country, and there are plenty of different ethnic groups that come here without the basic English fundamentals. It just perpetuates the very incorrect stereotype that Latinos are lazy. There are all sorts of reasons that people come here without the basic language tools, an important factor being lack of access to crucial resources to help them assimilate properly, and lack of knowledge that said resources even exist. Many of these resources cost money as well, and take time that is often spent working or caring for a family. It's also difficult when the people you come into contact with regularly primarily speak Spanish as well. And many non-native English speakers you encounter will actually be able to speak and understand some English, but are intimidated or embarrassed to do so because they feel their accents make it too difficult for native speakers to understand. Will they learn and use some basic English eventually? Most definitely.
For the record, the United States does not have an official national language. Of course I understand that English is the primary language used for road signs, menus, and communication, but it's not official. I live in Los Angeles, where there is actually a greater Latino population than a white population, so technically, if we are just going by majority (and since we have no national language that would make sense) we should be speaking Spanish here as our primary language. I think a better approach to this situation would be to learn to speak and understand some basic Spanish, as our country's Latino population is quickly growing and could very well reach majority in our lifetimes, anyway. Plus, in my opinion, it's a much prettier language than English!
Well said @acuteangles ! I think the common misconception is that non-English speakers are "too lazy" to try learning English, and that infuriates me. I worked in an urban community of mostly Latino descent for 5 years, and I don't believe I encountered anyone that "couldn't be bothered" to learn English. There are so many obstacles that they face trying to gain access to resources that I couldn't even begin to list them. Notably, most of the population I worked with couldn't read or write Spanish either; imagine how difficult it would be to try fully to grasp a second language when you've never had the education required to master one! I had never taken a day of a Spanish class in my life, and immediately knew if I was going to be in any way effective at my job, I'd have to learn. I spent very many hours pouring over medical Spanish dictionaries and apps and became decently proficient. If I had refused to bother learning any, it would have resulted in a potentially dangerous health situation for quite a few people and I wasn't willing to risk that. Between my broken Spanish, and their rudimentary English (which they felt more comfortable trying out once they realized I was making a true effort to help and understand them) we were able to get most communication issues resolved. With the growing Latino population in our country, I definitely feel Spanish should be required in our schools to make the transition easier for so many of these people.
Re: UO 11/19
Baby F.......02/02/2016
everytime I see someone post that they don't want to allow Syrian refugees to be admitted to the US and still have their stupid prayers for paris profile pic on facebook I want to throw my phone across the room.
DHs uncle is notorious for posting stupid crap all the time and he keeps doing it. "prayers for paris"... but really only the white people. He posted something saying if someone were to offer you 10 grapes and 2 were poisoned would you eat them? No? well then we shouldn't allow refugees in because they may be terrorists. WHAT THE BALLS?!?! YOU MAKE NO SENSE.
*Kate*
February 2016
Baby F.......02/02/2016
Baby F.......02/02/2016
I cannot stand the chatter that has ensued on FB about this. I personally haven't posted anything, but having to read racists crap makes me so angry.
And you better believe that if I was in the situation that some of these refugees/"illegal" immigrants are in, I would do ANYTHING in my power to get my children/family to safety. Beg, borrow, sneak into a country. Don't care. And I'd question anyone that says they wouldn't do the same for their children.
That being said; I'm not cursing the refugees either. I'm just saying I'm not going to change what I'm doing or my focus and I am going to remain bitter towards those who don't help our own. I've been bitter about it for years and I will continue to be regaurdless of the refugee situation. I don't have spare change, so to say, for the refugees so I'll hope for the best for them and do what I can, but my attention remains to the veterans.
I also don't go around saying this to people. This is the first time I've brought it up, actually.
Ps, sorry about your ears.
But here's my real UO;
People who tell me "all you can do is pray" or "at least you saw it coming" about my grandma's impending death. I appreciate it when people pray For me and if they ask I'll pray for them because they believe it helps, but I don't believe that prayers will solve my problems and everyone I know knows that. It isn't how my views work. And then trying to say "well mine died suddenly" like I should feel bad that she has cancer and is now violent due to medications?
Some people..
---quote fail---
I'm talking from a money and donation stand point. I have already spent my extra expenses and can not at this time afford both, like I said. I'm not denying the refugees but I can't give them money to help in their travels. I also live in MD which has moved against them so there won't be any here to help with jobs/food/housing. I WISH I could do more, I just wanted to bring up that I am one of the people who is fighting for veterans rights still while this is going on. I am in no way using it against the refugees though.
The whole thing pisses me off. You know what REALLY pisses me off? I'm pregnant and can't go on deployment with the rest of my team in response to these ISIS issues. I also HATE when people say Islam is a violent religion or Muslims are bad. NO. ISIS is bad. ISIS takes the Quran and makes t something different.
Do you have suggestions for ways those of us who truly do want to help can educate ourselves and get involved?
Www.moas.eu (I don't know how to add hyperlink on mobile)
Most of my friends know I practice Immigration law. As such, I have worked with the refugee community for over two decades. This post is long, but if you want actual information about the process, keep reading.
I can not tell you how frustrating it is to see the misinformation and outright lies that are being perpetuated about the refugee process and the Syrian refugees. So, here is a bit of information from the real world of someone who actually works and deals with this issue.
The refugee screening process is multi-layered and is very difficult to get through. Most people languish in temporary camps for months to years while their story is evaluated and checked.
First, you do not get to choose what country you might be resettled into. If you already have family (legal) in a country, that makes it more likely that you will go there to be with family, but other than that it is random. So, you can not simply walk into a refugee camp, show a document, and say, I want to go to America. Instead, the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees) works with the local authorities to try to take care of basic needs. Once the person/family is registered to receive basic necessities, they can be processed for resettlement. Many people are not interested in resettlement as they hope to return to their country and are hoping that the turmoil they fled will be resolved soon. In fact, most refugees in refugee events never resettle to a third country. Those that do want to resettle have to go through an extensive process.
Resettlement in the U.S. is a long process and takes many steps. The Refugee Admissions Program is jointly administered by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) in the Department of State, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within DHS conducts refugee interviews and determines individual eligibility for refugee status in the United States.
We evaluate refugees on a tiered system with three levels of priority.
First Priority are people who have suffered compelling persecution or for whom no other durable solution exists. These individuals are referred to the United States by UNHCR, or they are identified by the U.S. embassy or a non-governmental organization (NGO).
Second priority are groups of “special concern” to the United States. The Department of State determines these groups, with input from USCIS, UNHCR, and designated NGOs. At present, we prioritize certain persons from the former Soviet Union, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Iran, Burma, and Bhutan.
Third priority are relatives of refugees (parents, spouses, and unmarried children under 21) who are already settled in the United States may be admitted as refugees. The U.S.-based relative must file an Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) and must be processed by DHS.
Before being allowed to come to the United States, each refugee must undergo an extensive interviewing, screening, and security clearance process conducted by Regional Refugee Coordinators and overseas Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs). Individuals generally must not already be firmly resettled (a legal term of art that would be a separate article). Just because one falls into the three priorities above does not guarantee admission to the United States.
The Immigration laws require that the individuals prove that they have a “well-founded fear,” (another legal term which would be a book.) This fear must be proved regardless of the person’s country, circumstance, or classification in a priority category. There are multiple interviews and people are challenged on discrepancies. I had a client who was not telling the truth on her age and the agency challenged her on it. Refugees are not simply admitted because they have a well founded fear. They still must show that they are not subject to exclusion under Section 212(a) of the INA. These grounds include serious health matters, moral or criminal matters, as well as security issues. In addition, they can be excluded for such things as polygamy, misrepresentation of facts on visa applications, smuggling, or previous deportations. Under some circumstances, the person may be eligible to have the ground waived.
At this point, a refugee can be conditionally accepted for resettlement. Then, the RSC sends a request for assurance of placement to the United States, and the Refugee Processing Center (RPC) works with private voluntary agencies (VOLAG) to determine where the refugee will live. If the refugee does have family in the U.S., efforts will be made to resettle close to that family.
Every person accepted as a refugee for planned admission to the United States is conditional upon passing a medical examination and passing all security checks. Frankly, there is more screening of refugees than ever happens to get on an airplane. Of course, yes, no system can be 100% foolproof. But if that is your standard, then you better shut down the entire airline industry, close the borders, and stop all international commerce and shipping. Every one of those has been the source of entry of people and are much easier ways to gain access to the U.S. Only upon passing all of these checks (which involve basically every agency of the government involved in terrorist identification) can the person actually be approved to travel.
Before departing, refugees sign a promissory note to repay the United States for their travel costs. This travel loan is an interest-free loan that refugees begin to pay back six months after arriving in the country.
Once the VOLAG is notified of the travel plans, it must arrange for the reception of refugees at the airport and transportation to their housing at their final destination.
This process from start to finish averages 18 to 24 months, but I have seen it take years.
The reality is that about half of the refugees are children, another quarter are elderly. Almost all of the adults are either moms or couples coming with children. Each year the President, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2016, the proposed ceiling is 85,000. We have been averaging about 70,000 a year for the last number of years. (Source: Refugee Processing Center)
Over one-third of all refugee arrivals (35.1 percent, or 24,579) in FY 2015 came from the Near East/South Asia—a region that includes Iraq, Iran, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.
Another third of all refugee arrivals (32.1 percent, or 22,472) in FY 2015 came from Africa.
Over a quarter of all refugee arrivals (26.4 percent, or 18,469) in FY 2015 came from East Asia — a region that includes China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. (Source: Refugee Processing Center)
Finally, the process in Europe is different. I would be much more concerned that terrorists are infiltrating the European system because they are not nearly so extensive and thorough in their process.