In a less racist country, the reasoning would go like this: The people fleeing ISIS from Syria hate ISIS more than we possibly could, more even than the French could. Attacks on the scale of the tragedy in Paris are routine in ISIS-controlled areas, resulting in entire cities being leveled. If we let them in and generously provide for them, we would be building up a community of grateful, patriotic Americans whose presence and loyalty would undercut the message on which ISIS thrives.
Note that I didn't say a more "rational" country or use any other vague and formalistic word. Yes, people lack logical reasoning and long-term thinking on this issue, but it's not like they had a spontaneous brain-fart -- it's racism that's deluding them. Only extreme racism could make you think that people's shared ethnic background would create a bond of loyalty that transcends murder, rape, destruction of homes and livelihoods, etc.
Note also that I didn't say a "kinder" or "nicer" country. Yes, people are being exceptionally heartless, but again, it's not some random moral failing on the part of individuals. Racism is what makes people see refugees as less worthy of concern, just as it's what makes people inclined to explain away the murder of unarmed blacks by police. Only racist logic could make the extremely remote possibility of an ISIS "sleeper" sneaking in among the refugees into an excuse to deny thousands of people the chance to rebuild a livable life.
The Republican governors who are refusing admission to refugees aren't simply idiots, or crazy ideologues, or heartless bastards -- though they are undoubtedly all those things. The root cause of all of that is that they're racists.
Note that I didn't say a more "rational" country or use any other vague and formalistic word. Yes, people lack logical reasoning and long-term thinking on this issue, but it's not like they had a spontaneous brain-fart -- it's racism that's deluding them. Only extreme racism could make you think that people's shared ethnic background would create a bond of loyalty that transcends murder, rape, destruction of homes and livelihoods, etc.
Note also that I didn't say a "kinder" or "nicer" country. Yes, people are being exceptionally heartless, but again, it's not some random moral failing on the part of individuals. Racism is what makes people see refugees as less worthy of concern, just as it's what makes people inclined to explain away the murder of unarmed blacks by police. Only racist logic could make the extremely remote possibility of an ISIS "sleeper" sneaking in among the refugees into an excuse to deny thousands of people the chance to rebuild a livable life.
The Republican governors who are refusing admission to refugees aren't simply idiots, or crazy ideologues, or heartless bastards -- though they are undoubtedly all those things. The root cause of all of that is that they're racists.