And this is no time to abandon that tradition. Our bravery. the bravery of our military. and the bravery of our commitment to freedom and equality have shown for almost 250 years what American exceptionalism is truly all about. It is not the time to lose sight of ourselves and say America is too weak. that America cannot handle 20.000 or 200.000 refugees fleeing for their lives. It is not the time for America to consider raising the white flag and say to those waving the black flag: "Yes. ISIS. you are right. We dislike and fear Muslims. and we do not care if you perish or not." A lot of us love this country too much to see it abandon core principles and values because religious extremists commit acts of terror designed precisely to terrorize us. On Thursday. the Immigration Subcommittee will hold a hearing on refugees from Syria and the Middle East. as well it should. but you can already imagine what we will hear. Republicans will most likely raise fears that Muslim terrorists disguised as refugees would somehow pass exhaustive criminal background checks because they have been lying in wait in those camps overseas for years on the slim chance they could do damage to America. They will raise suspicions. instill fear of Muslims. maybe even fear of a President they have been saying is a Muslim. and it will probably be a pretty sad display. Let us as legislators. leaders. and patriots rise above petty politics. rise above sectarian fears. and rise above the underlying layer of xenophobia that often surfaces in this country at moments like this throughout our history. And let us maintain Americas commitment to being a beacon of hope for those fleeing oppression. violence. and intolerance. A haven for the religiously persecuted. whether they are Buddhists from Tibet.
Identified stereotypes
Muslim terrorists disguised as refugees would somehow pass exhaustive criminal background checks.