We were struck by President Obama’s extravagant — almost hyperbolic– language when referring to the current migration of Syrian refugees. Last week, in a Thanksgiving address, he likened them to pilgrims on the Mayflower:
Nearly four centuries after the Mayflower set sail, the world is still full of pilgrims — men and women who want nothing more than the chance for a safer, better future for themselves and their families. What makes America America is that we offer that chance…. I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving, surrounded by loved ones and full of joy and gratitude…. And together, may we all play our own small part in the American story, and write a next chapter that future generations can be thankful for.
And the week before, speaking to students in Kuala Lumpur, he said “As long as I’m president [America] will be a welcoming place for millions fleeing violence around the world.”
It could not be lost on Mr. Obama that the Syrian refugees as a group carry with them a different culture, value system, and religion from most Americans. It almost seems those differences are exactly why he views them as contemporary building blocks and wants them to become part of the American social fabric as equal partners. In other word, there is no uniqueness to our existing systems and nothing special about our Judeo-Christian credo to preserve.
This reminds us of the pseudo-issue Mr. Obama concocted in his presidential race against John McCain in 2008 when he said while addressing university students:
[McCain’s] spending an awful lot of time talking about me. You notice that?… They [McCain and the Republicans] know that you’re not real happy with them and so the only way they figure they’re going to win this election is if they make you scared of me….What they’re saying is, ‘Well, we know we’re not very good but you can’t risk electing Obama. You know, he’s new, he doesn’t look like the other presidents on the currency, he’s got a funny name.”
Apparently, President Obama is attempting to create a new normal. He has attempted to upend our immigration system in an effort to legalize millions of illegal arrivals from Mexico and South America. And now he is ready to allow an unprecedented number of refugees from the Middle East to permanently settle here.
To be sure, if the security issues could be resolved — a very big “if” — there would be no problem with providing a temporary haven for those fleeing persecution. But it is the permanency aspect that becomes the central issue and seemingly an essential part of what increasingly looks like the president’s plan to change the face of America, not incrementally but it one fell swoop.