If You’re Still Breathing You’re The Lucky Ones

Wow! This video from the #withSyria campaign was the first thing I saw this morning. Turn on your sound on your computer, tablet, phone etc. I watched it twice and I tried not to go into the ugly cry. I spent more than 30 years not crying and then something odd started happening as I headed into my mid-thirties. I started to cry. My friends find this hilarious. I find it annoying.

Syria is one of the most dangerous places in the world for children to live. I’ve been following this story since the civil war broke out more than two years ago. I’ve watched countless videos of people fleeing from chemical weapons attacks and bombings by their own government. I don’t need to understand Arabic to understand pain – that’s etched into the face of every person, young and old, in Syria. The world has largely turned a blind eye and been more focused on other conflicts – Gaza, ISIS etc. Somehow world leaders have missed the link between Syria and ISIS until recently.

Syrian civilians are targeted on a daily basis – a violation of international law. Assad and his regime should be indicted for war crimes. The most dangerous places for Syrians to be are markets, schools and hospitals; many of which continue to operate despite the risk. Generations of Syrian children – many of whom become refugees – are left without an education. What happens when you have generations who live in war and nothing else? Where they are denied their basic human rights and education?

In February 2014, the UN Security Council, which is comprised of the world’s most powerful nations i.e. the United States, stated that if these indiscriminate attacks didn’t stop then they would take further action. Nothing has happened and thousands more have died.

When the US government started its wishy washy approach on Syria – we’re going in – wait, no, we’re not going – eh it’ll blow over – I was appalled. I wrote to my Congressmen (something made so easy thanks to the internet) and asked for help for the Syrian people. I didn’t want another war – we’ve had enough of that – but what I did want is the United States to put the full force of it humanitarian response towards Syria.

We have tremendous power to influence and impact these types of issues. Case in point ISIS – nobody was moving until suddenly the US decides they’re going to do something about it. Months too late, but nevertheless. Like it or not we’re still seen as the leader of the free world (for how much longer I’m not so sure) and other nations rely on our input and action before they’re willing to move in any direction. This is something we inherited at the end of World War II. With that comes tremendous responsibility – a responsibility we have shirked beyond measure.

If you think what happens in these far off places has no impact on what happens here in this country you are mistaken. It’s what the CIA calls blowback or, in simple terms, – for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The way we respond and handle these situations has a direct correlation to the safety of our own country. Back to my question: What do you think happens to a generation that grows up in war without an education? Answer: It leads to fanaticism and the desire to do whatever it takes to survive.

Earlier this summer I commented on a post on Amnesty International and stated that I had written my Congressmen about a particular topic. A young man from Syria responded begging me to write my Congressmen to tell them what was happening in Syria. His exact words were: “There are real people here who don’t want to die.” I told him that I had already done so. I’ve done it again today. So if you’re bothered by what you see, you can sign the petition here to demand world leaders take action, or you can contact your Congressmen/women and demand they uphold our end of the bargain as leaders of the free world. And yes, I said demand. Here in the US we vote these people in and out of office. They work for you – make them earn it.

Murder on the Mediterranean

European countries along the Mediterranean have seen an influx of immigrants in recent years due to the ongoing conflicts and Africa and the Middle East. This year is one of the biggest surges yet. Not unlike Haitian or Cuban refugees in North America; migrants from Africa and the Middle East often board vessels bound for Italy in the hopes of giving themselves and their families a better life.

In the past two days, three shipwrecks have claimed more than 700 lives; more than 3,000 this year. One of these boats was intentionally sunk by the smugglers when the people refused to be transported from one vessel to another. The Guardian is reporting that up to 100 children are presumed dead in this heinous act. Imagine you’ve survived rape, famine, bombs, or ethnic cleansing to find yourself drowning in the middle of the Mediterranean.

While the root of the problem is obviously to try and resolve the conflicts in these migrant’s home countries, the interim solution is to provide better protection on the seas by having better coordinated rescue missions. This falls under the watch of the European Union which has a track record of turning people away instead of letting them in. Once a refugee has reached a country’s shores, the host country is under a legal and moral obligation to assist them in any way possible. This of course directly applies to countries in the EU as they are part of the UN and thus subject to international law. Immigration reform is another issue and with better practices and better access people would no longer need to risk their lives to get to safety.

We have these same problems here in the United States with the massive influx of Central American refugees fleeing corrupt and war torn regions. Once they are on American soil they must be interviewed and vetted before they are turned away and sent back home. The reception and treatment many of them have seen from my fellow Americans has been nothing short of shameful. Instead of standing at the border and screaming why not do something useful to try and help the people that do arrive on your shores. Organizations like the International Rescue Committee are a great place to start.