CREDIT: XIMAGINATION / THINKSTOCK
There were probably more than a few fights this holiday season over politics.

While you were visiting family and sleeping off the blinding hangovers that marked our collective entrance into the new year, the government was scrambling for a strategy to cope with the Syrian refugees trickling into the country. The attacks in Paris further complicated the titanic task of accommodating thousands of refuge seekers because of security concerns.

Over the holidays, a substantial number of millennials probably sat through at least one uncomfortable “send them back where they came from” tirade, courtesy of an aging relative.

In spite of the fact that said relative was probably born abroad, there’s genuine animosity toward Syrian refugees by a vocal minority hereafter referred to as “idiots”.

You can easily find these individuals on social media because the people who hold these views don’t have the common sense to keep it to themselves.

A popular fallacy being bandied about is that receiving Syrian refugees undermines our ability to provide for those living under the poverty line. It’s beyond naive to think that the money earmarked for supporting refugees would have been spent on the financially destitute.

It’s crucial to make the separation between critics and idiots. No one would claim that the strategy adopted by the federal government to process refugees is flawless. The problem occurs when frustration with either the funding model or the support strategy is channeled into animosity against the individuals and families entering the country.

If financial aid is the bone you’d like to pick, there are plenty of financial blunders in the past five years that dwarf the housing issues we’re currently facing.

If security is your concern, consider the statement by French journalist Nicolas Hénin who was released from ISIS captivity: “At the moment, with the bombings, we are more likely pushing the people into the hands of ISIS.” When Syrian’s only exposure to first world countries comes in the shape of a fighter jet, the appeal of a group that denounces such attacks is all too obvious. Couple that with the fear of becoming a victim of the violence perpetrated by said group, and if escape is not an option many believe they have no other choice.

The issue is so multi-faceted that many books will be written to address the various complexities that have, and will continue to unfold. If pressed, most of the idiots who oppose accepting Syrian refugees will revert to sweeping generalizations and, more often than not, some Islamophobic remark.

The tendency to boil complex issues down into an oversimplified narrative is indicative of a small-minded individual. As a country and a people that pride ourselves on holding the values of democracy and human rights above all else, we simply cannot let the fear of the unknown prevent us from coming to the aid of our fellow man.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.