Immigrants

I honestly don't understand why it is so hard for people to put themselves in immigrants' shoes. Why do people demean, yell, insult, etc. people who have come from, in some cases, absolutely horrible conditions for a chance at a better, calmer, safer life?

Not many people actually *want* to leave their homeland. They also don't want to be bombed out or live in a tent with no water. Many people who come here are escaping something truly awful. With the current political climate in the US, I often wonder why anyone would want to immigrate there. But even as bad as it seems to me, it's still better than where they were coming from.

Maybe it's because I have traveled to other parts of the world, but I can envision at least a tiny portion of what that could be like. If I was forced to move to another country for my safety, I would likely feel defeated pretty quickly. I may not speak the language (not because I don't want to, I just haven't learned it yet and had to flee in a hurry) and that is a huge disadvantage. The customs are different, the rules and laws different. Things I took for granted as "the way things are done" may need to be totally revisited, and the older you are, the harder that is. If I tried to start a business, I may be met with racism, red tape, and many other obstacles. I might be accused of stealing jobs, when all I wanted to do was to be safe and not shot at on a daily basis. I may have a high level of education or valuable specialty, but I can't get a job in my field because my credentials are not recognized.

Every individual who comes here has his/her own story. They had reasons for coming here that are valid and understandable. The key is to look at it as an individual and not as a group: don't look at it as a bunch of Syrians taking up housing and jobs. Look at it as Abbud and his wife & kids escaping a war-torn area. You've talked to him, you know his story, it sounded like an awful place to be, but he immigrated here and is now trying to adjust to a new life. I am hard pressed to think that most Canadians would not be friendly to Abbud if they talked to him and knew him on this level.

We need more compassion. We have a big country with plenty of room to share. There's no need for us to hog it when we can help others escape a bad situation. Remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.