On 25/09/2011 8:50 PM, lev@levlafayette.com wrote:
is to simply introduce people to actual refugees so people can hear their side of the story.
That's an excellent idea Lev. I would also ask that the meetings be tempered by having those that aren't refugees attend too. I'm old, so I've meet many refugees from the older countries. Worked and lived with them too. Ask the chick that owns and runs The Cuckoo what it is like to be a refugee. She defected from East Germany. I have another friend that did the same from Poland. The Cold War didn't end that long ago but we seem to have forgotten the lessons and the costs. To me, a refugee is best explained by the scenes in films taken during World War Two. The destitute people walking from one town or city to the next without purpose or hope or knowing what was waiting for them needed refuge. I strongly suspect the real refugees can not get themselves out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of the photos and films taken show those people whose eyes have lost all direct focus. My heart bleeds for them but they aren't the ones getting here. Cheers, Mike