Radio Free Montone: We Are A Nation Of Immigrants
By John Montone, 1010 WINS
We are a nation of immigrants. It is a principle we hold dear. Until…
The inscription on the Statue of Liberty reads, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." The Statue of Liberty stands proudly in New York Harbor.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton says New York City is the number one target of the Islamic State. One of the Paris terrorists arrived there as part of the mass migration of refugees from Syria. And so, as I write this, more than half of our nation's governors have said they do not want any Syrian refugees residing in their states. Governor Christie of New Jersey gave a resounding "No" to refugees. He went so far to rule out allowing a Syrian orphan under the age of five to settle in his state claiming that he does not…"trust the Obama administration to properly vet the people… in order to protect the safety and security of the American people."
On Tuesday morning editor Maloney asked me to find out what New Jerseyans thought of Christie's stance. Jeff, the first fellow I spoke to, agonized over the question. He admitted he was worried about letting a terrorist into the United States but in the end he said, "That's what this country is about, helping others." But minutes later Andrew said, "Good," when I told him of the Governor's statement. He agreed with Jeff that, "These are our principles," but added, "not in a time of war."
Coincidentally, I am reading a book about the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II. With very little proof that any of them would subvert the U.S. war effort, they were rounded up, forced to sell their homes and businesses and relocated to camps far from where they lived. Fear, not any evidence, drove our leaders' decision to ignore the Constitutional right of due process.
We again live in fearful times.
Steve told me, "I'm really not looking for any of this terrorist activity coming to this state or this country." Steve said, "I feel for those people but…times have changed."
The final gentleman I spoke to pointed out that the Syrian refugees, "…are running away from ISIS." He called Christie's stance, "Harsh." And said, "America was built on accepting people from other countries. You know, the whole Statue of Liberty thing."
We live and work in New York City. As do our children, our spouses our friends. And as the Police Commissioner says, we are the number one target of ISIS.
I did not sleep last night after my daughter called to say she was scared walking through the Port Authority bus terminal.
But it is that "Statue of Liberty thing" that makes us who we are.
