To the editor:

I was very sad Tuesday morning, as I heard it announced that Gov. Brownback planned to issue an executive order to oppose allowing Syrian refugees to relocate to Kansas in response to the horrible events in France recently. It’s said his reasoning is to prevent such things from happening here in the Midwest.

The majority of these attackers were either French or Belgian nationals, or were living in these countries legally.  One, maybe, came through Egypt as a refugee on a Syrian passport. Even if that turns out to be the case, it seems unlikely that the attack would have been prevented by eliminating that one human factor. And that is the excuse given to disregard so much suffering.

These refugees are people, fleeing the violence that we are so afraid of.  Millions of them, whose only crime is being trapped in a place where living is impossible. So, for little to no benefit to ourselves, we would deny them refuge. And even if there IS some increased safety to ourselves, can we justify turning our backs on millions? Is that what Americans are, what Christians are, what humans are? Are we SO afraid for ourselves that we have no compassion for others?

“All lives matter,” I keep hearing. I’ll join the chant when I see some evidence that it’s true.