The Briefing Room

General Category => Immigration/Border => Topic started by: rangerrebew on April 27, 2018, 09:42:59 pm

Title: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: rangerrebew on April 27, 2018, 09:42:59 pm
Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?

Posted by Ann Corcoran on April 27, 2018

That is the question a young opinion writer asks and answers (in the affirmative of course!) in the wake of Wednesday’s Supreme Court hearing on the President’s travel ban.

The long opinion piece in Deseret News by writer Gillian Friedman evoked a largely negative response by readers.  I especially got a chuckle out of this comment:

 https://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/does-america-have-a-moral-obligation-to-resettle-refugees/
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: Fishrrman on April 27, 2018, 10:43:23 pm
No.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: WingNot on April 27, 2018, 10:45:26 pm
Rochester No
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: endicom on April 27, 2018, 10:48:34 pm

A B.A. in Race and Ethnic Studies.

Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: Free Vulcan on April 27, 2018, 10:49:24 pm
'Moral obligations' are for theocracies, which we are not.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: Oceander on April 27, 2018, 11:09:15 pm
'Moral obligations' are for theocracies, which we are not.

Ahh, so then this was never supposed to be a Christian nation. 
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: Free Vulcan on April 27, 2018, 11:21:28 pm
Ahh, so then this was never supposed to be a Christian nation.

Merely holding the leftists to their own standard.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: Oceander on April 27, 2018, 11:30:06 pm
Merely holding the leftists to their own standard.

No, actually, you’re not. 
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: WingNot on April 27, 2018, 11:36:49 pm
Ahh, so then this was never supposed to be a Christian nation.

That time has passed.  September 11 2001 to be exact.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: jpsb on April 27, 2018, 11:45:18 pm
Ahh, so then this was never supposed to be a Christian nation.

@Oceander

I hope these "refugees" move right next to you. I hope the houses next to you are full of
unemployable male refugees. I hope your entire neighborhood goes full "refugees" with every loud
calls to prayer four times a day.

We are morally obligated to take care of our own first.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: TomSea on April 28, 2018, 01:14:12 am
We have a lot of homeless, a lot of them can't be helped but I'm sure some can. Maybe we should consider taking care of our own first.  I'm all for helping the truly persecuted.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: TomSea on April 28, 2018, 01:15:13 am
We've got cities that are in pretty sad shape. We have a lot to take care of. Help those truly in need.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: driftdiver on April 28, 2018, 01:42:19 am
'Moral obligations' are for theocracies, which we are not.

So only religious people have morals?
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: roamer_1 on April 28, 2018, 01:45:55 am
'Moral obligations' are for theocracies, which we are not.

Wrong on both counts.

No, an obligation is required. If it is required, it is no longer charitable.
The obligation is to be charitable.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: WingNot on April 28, 2018, 01:47:57 am
Wrong on both counts.

No, an obligation is required. If it is required, it is no longer charitable.
The obligation is to be charitable.

Charity starts at home.  With our people.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: roamer_1 on April 28, 2018, 01:50:28 am
Charity starts at home.  With our people.

Sure.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: dfwgator on April 28, 2018, 02:26:13 am
We've got cities that are in pretty sad shape. We have a lot to take care of. Help those truly in need.

And let's have a foreign policy that helps improve living standards in those countries, so they won't be compelled to have to come here in the first place.  Globalization results in productive people leaving for greener pastures leaving those left behind to whither on the vine,  and that is simply not sustainable.
Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: Free Vulcan on April 28, 2018, 12:34:23 pm
No, actually, you’re not.

No liberal will allow any mention of morality or moral obligation in any religious sense that disagrees with their own belief system. They will tell you that we are a secular society that it's a violation of separation of church and state to do so while talking about things like moral obligation out of the other side of their mouth..

Title: Re: Does America have a moral obligation to resettle refugees?
Post by: Jazzhead on April 28, 2018, 12:58:40 pm
And let's have a foreign policy that helps improve living standards in those countries, so they won't be compelled to have to come here in the first place.  Globalization results in productive people leaving for greener pastures leaving those left behind to whither on the vine,  and that is simply not sustainable.

I agree, in theory,  but the refugees that are seeking new homes nowadays are the victims of displacement by war, war exacerbated by the rivalries of east and west.     The question, it seems to me, isn't whether we have a moral obligation to resettle refugees, but whether we have a moral obligation to do our share.   If the rest of world is pitching in to assist those displaced by war, are we morally able to refuse to help?