Calamity Kirstin: Syrian Food for thought

The Social Medial has exploded in outrage towards the idea of roughly 25,000 Syrian refugees entering into Canada, specifically, those individuals coming to Alberta and British Columbia (I watch Global Calgary and listen to the Vanderhoof Radio on my way to work). I’ve never seen such consensus on one idea. Congratulations, Canada.

I’ve noticed all sorts of comments behind not letting them cross into our boarder. Some arguments are that that we have a substantial lack of housing, complaints have been made that we are providing more funding to them when we can hardly aid our homeless community; these refugees will be receiving Provincial and Extended Health Care, when we have to typically pay for our own through taxes and finally, that connections were made between a Syrian passport and the bombings in Paris (Calgary Eye Opener, 2015).

The Social Medial has exploded in outrage towards the idea of Syrian refugees coming into Alberta and British Columbia (Many Facebook Friends are located in these regions). I’ve never seen such consensus on one idea. Congratulations Canada, I’ve just lost faith in humanity and your justifications are petty.

We require refugees to have medical exams prior to coming into Canada. We provide loans up to $10,000 to cover the cost traveling oversees and these medical exams. We expect that they repay Canada and they eagerly want to do so (2015, Kane, Laura). We are also the only country to charge interest on this loan (The Canadian Press, 2015). I would think that knowing these medical exams exist help ensure these individuals are in sound health and our medical system take less hit.

Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, who is soon to be expecting approximately 2,300 Syrian refugees to come into his city, pleads with Calgarians in that these people are terrified of those same individuals and experienced that same violence that occurred in Paris (2015, Kane).

Also, I didn’t realize there was a housing shortage in Calgary or Alberta; perhaps it’s because I’ve been out of the housing market for so long. As for jobs, I’m confident, as the majority of the population won’t be comfortably fluent in English, they won’t be scoring those (lack of) oil and gas office jobs that everyone else is looking for.

Also, when was the last time we volunteered to help the homeless? I think the feeling that come to mind towards those of low socioeconomic status can be summed up in: “Get off welfare and get a real job”. So, why are we now using the homeless population as an excuse as to not aid others?

Let us remember that we are all immigrants. Canada isn’t exactly an old country, born on July 1, 1967, and we’re all from somewhere else, Finland and Scotland, are my roots. I remember talking to several other individuals from North America while volunteering in both Peru and Bolivia whispering to each other how lucky we were to be born in Canada, while seeing the lifestyles in these developing countries. I was lucky and fortunate to be born here, not entitled or expected, it was nothing but a blessing. Who are we to turn away these helpless people? Who are we let these people get further hurt and damaged?

I’m not trying to lash out, but I’m presumably angry, sad and quite embarrassed about such backlash of allowing these traumatized human beings into Canada. I’m aware that my argument is full of holes large enough to swallow my Sunfire, but I suppose I just wanted to provide some food for thought and remind us that we are talking about human beings, here. These are real people with beating hearts and lively souls, not simply Syrian refugees.