To the Editor,
The predictable knee-jerk reaction of our more right-wing politicians to our new refugee policy can be written off as a mean-spirited effort to regain some leverage with voters. It didn’t work in the recent election and it shouldn’t now.
From a totally self-serving point of view, welcoming desperate families will ensure a loyal, grateful group who will be the first to combat any negative influences in the future.
The worst course of action would be to re-traumatize victims of a ghastly war by treating them as threats by creating ‘Fortess Canada.’
Let’s provide them a welcoming home and reap the benefits they will provide our country in the long term.
Dave CuttsNanaimo
To the Editor,
Our new PM confirmed that he is not reconsidering bringing about 25,000 refugees to Canada by the end of the year. Apart from the logistics of thoroughly reviewing and processing such a huge number in such a short time, has anyone consulted the electorate on how we feel about these people in our country?
The politicians will assure us that care will be taken to weed out undesirables, but can we really believe this? What questions will they ask, and what proof of their status will be required, and will they allow families to be broken up?
We all want to help true refugees, but is this group from the Middle East going to improve Canada? Already about one quarter of the U.S. states have declared that they will not accept refugees because of what happened in Paris. Is our government the only one that is right, or are these states showing some common sense? I’m with the states.
Gordon JacksonNanaimo