Around the corner

December 4, 2015 · 0 Comments

Dear editor:
The past governing party of Canada had a negative view of any refugee who might be around the corner. To the Tories a refugee was a shadowy figure who wants to step from around the corner in order to harm us.
Syrian refugees in the millions are waiting around the corner. We have the greatest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. Canada must act to bring some of those adults and children to our resourceful and charitable country.
We have the capacity and expertise, and the compassion to expedite the movement of thousands of Syrian refugees to our shores. We can move twenty-five thousand by the end of this year if all Canadians take positive steps from coast to coast.
We must not allow fear to slow our intent to take refugees from the United Nations camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. We should reach around the corner to reunite families who already have relatives in Canada. We should bring all members of an extended family.
Millions of Syrians have lost everything because of a civil war which does not slow. The war becomes more complicated because some people have decided their own special ‘cause’ is the only one. As Canadians, we struggle to sort out the differences between the many warring factions. We do, however, understand the threat of ISIS.
We have a deep-rooted tradition in our country to accept refugees from conflict zones around the world. We’ve done it time and time again since the end of the Second World War.
I am an immigrant who came to Canada in the fifties from Britain. My family had an easy journey, but the Syrians do not!
I want the government of Justin Trudeau to ease their burden. I want Canadians to reach around the corner and help, ‘at least, one hundred thousand refugees in the next three years.
Vaughan G. Harris,