Should US Accept Refugees from Syria

great question - I don't have an answer though - I've been pondering it myself. These poor people, however, should we risk it? Financially and safety wise we currently have issues with illegal immigration. Will this increase our own problems?

But on the other hand it seems so heartless not to help these poor people.

Just to put it in perspective, in 2013, approximately 41.3 million immigrants lived in the United States. Taking 10,000 legal ones wouldn't be a big deal. I know the Vietnam immigrants we took in after we left there were big economic contributors to the New Orleans area where I grew up. (One was elected to Congress. Read his story to see what war refugees can do.) What gets me is why Europe isn't hording them. These people are doctors, architects, skilled workers of every sort. Europe is depopulating due to low birth rates. Spanish towns are looking for residents because the population has gotten so low that schools and hospitals are shutting down. Germany has a similar issue. You've got skilled workers and empty towns, seems like a perfect fit. These workers will be driving Europe's growth in twenty years. The US should be all about getting in on the action.

Thanks - to be honest I did not know much about the background of these individuals (so far as education and skills) - I think in part we would have to be smart about it - would people volunteer to "host"these families? In a sense help them get settled, provide them a place to stay or sort of "foster"them.

I think that would give them a better start than to just dump them in low income housing, provide them with food stamps and such.

You would want them to become part of our society and not a drag on it. Not saying they would be - but just opening up the doors without planning first would be crazy.

not sure how it was in the US but that's how it was done with the Vietnamese refugees who came to Canada

I've signed up with a local group that hopes to bring 1000 Syrian families to Toronto. They're looking for volunteers of all sorts to help the refugees adjust to life here.

I was in the bar last night and this was the topic among patrons. Most of them doesn't want to accept refugees for some reasons that I think are valid.

Some worry about refugees behavior. If they will be willing to adapt to the environment here and not force their own beliefs. Some worry that they will create their own tight community and will introduce division between communities.

From my observations, immigrants/refugees always have an ethnic enclave for the purpose of having a place to buy the food they like, and associate with people that speak their language, etc.

But, the children go to American schools, and adopt much of the American ways. By the grandchildren's generation, there is movement out of the enclave, and into other parts.

Not everyone is a model citizen. But, who knows if the descendant of some refugee won't cure a disease, or make some other worthwhile contribution to the society?

In my opinion, as I've been told, every barrel of apples has a few rotten apples. But most apples are good. From the very inception of this country that has been the paradigm for filling up this big country. And, since we have computers, it might be easier today to manage pro-actively that refugees are availing themselves of opportunity in the country. Where would many food franchises be without immigrant families to work long hours?