I can only imagine choosing to carry my precious 1-year-old daughter, Abigail, as we flee halfway across a continent, and placing her in a rickety boat or rubber dinghy that may not survive the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean Sea, because that ordeal is still safer than staying home. That is exactly the choice parents are making in Syria today. America must be resolute in the face of terror and never allow our enemies to scare us into retreating behind walls and abandoning our values. It is not difficult to imagine a child we reject today fighting alongside the Islamic State years from now. Abandoned in a dangerous and hopeless place, that child could turn into a fighter firing rocket-propelled grenades at American helicopters, just like the one who brought down my Black Hawk 11 years ago this month. We are not powerless in that child's fate. When I was a child, I witnessed the refugee crisis borne out of people fleeing the Khmer Rouge and Pathet Lao in Southeast Asia. I remember families loading all they had into boats and risking everything on the South China Sea. I am proud the U.S. took in refugees during those years, and ever motivated by the knowledge that we could have done more. This is a time for the United States to lead with strength, not fear.

Watching what happened in Paris was a heartbreaking reminder of how important it is that we stand together as a country united against terrorism, and remember what makes America great. But far too many Republicans like Senator Ted Cruz have rushed to use those attacks as an excuse to block Syrian refugees from entering our country. He just introduced a bill that would block refugees from any country "that contains territory substantially controlled by a foreign terrorist organization." These individuals are escaping the very same terrorism that the world witnessed this week in Paris and Beirut. Thousands of Syrians have been killed, millions have been displaced, and countless livelihoods have been destroyed by the likes of ISIS (or "Daesh") and the Assad regime. Simply turning our backs on refugees fleeing political and religious persecution is not the American way. Sign the petition if you agree, and tell Congress to oppose Senator Cruz's misguided, reckless plan.

Governor Walker has said that Wisconsin will not take any Syrian refugees. This is the greatest exodus of refugees since the end of World War ll.. Americans, except for Native Am. are all immigrants or the children or grandchildren of immigrants or refugees, it is our human duty to help.

There are many Alabamians and citizens of other states who take pride in being among the people of our nation who do not baselessly judge others based on color, race, religion and/or national origin. Please hear our pleas and support a position that is in accord with the American tradition of being open to people of the world who are in need. Only through tolerance, kindness, and support can we defeat the rise of hatred and violence that is occurring in the world today.

Americans need to learn from the mistakes of nearly 80 years ago when this country, like nearly every other country in the world, slammed the door on Jewish refugees trying to escape Nazi persecution throughout Europe. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has called today's conflict in Syria "a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions" with "grave implications for security and interests throughout the world." The violence has claimed the lives of some 20,000 children, and has displaced more than 11.6 million people (http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/syria). Indiana alone cannot solve the world's refugee problems, but we can play a small part in alleviating world misery and catastrophe by making sure that we never again turn away men, women, and children fleeing widespread atrocities and crimes against humanity. Tell Governor Pence and the Indiana State Legislature to remember Holocaust history, and do the right thing in stepping up to help Syrian refugees in need today.

It is unworthy of us as Americans to refuse asylum to individuals simply because their country of origin is Syria or because they are Muslim. There is some risk in ANY action, but we are certainly capable of offering safety and comfort to those innocents who desperately need to shelter in New Hampshire.

Walker does not exemplify the "Wisconsin spirit!"

My local congregation of friends are discussing sponsoring a Syrian family and we want the world to know that the governor of Florida nor the right wing state legislature do not represent the caring people in this state and other states who are not willing to turn our backs to the families horrendously displaced by the militarization of the world wreaking total destruction of everything good and decent or humane. We will step up to act humanely and not stick our heads in the sand. Let it be known that we have done this before when thousands of refugees fled Vietnam. Many thousands ended up in Florida on Eglin Airforce reservation and the people of Florida took them in. Thank you for caring, Johnnie Bohannon

This week, at least 29 Republican governors have said they oppose letting Syrian immigrants into their state following the tragic attacks in Paris. Unlike Europe, which has been overwhelmed by the crisis, the U.S. has a thorough vetting process for every refugee who is allowed to enter the United States. The typical process takes between 18 and 24 months. Furthermore, under the U.S. Constitution, governors can’t deny any group of people entry to their state, nor can they determine our federal refugee policy, which is set by the president. Statements attacking Syrian refugees make no one safer and create an environment where racist attacks are more prevalent. We can be a strong, secure country and a welcoming, moral one at the same time.

Secretary of State John Kerry says a ceasefire between Syria's government and opposition could be just weeks away from reality, AP reports. [1] Kerry said the ceasefire envisioned by the political process agreed upon in Vienna on 11/14 would significantly help efforts to fight ISIS as well as end the Syrian civil war. “We're weeks away conceivably from the possibility of a big transition for Syria, and I don't think enough people necessarily notice that,” Kerry said. John McCain noticed, and he’s not happy. McCain slammed the ceasefire deal on NPR, on the grounds that it accepts that Russia and Iran have influence in Syria. [2] But a war to remove Russian and Iranian influence from Syria would be a long war indeed. Saudi Arabia and Turkey, key backers of the Syrian opposition, signed the deal in Vienna, but that’s not good enough for John McCain. Secretary Kerry has done what 55 House Democrats [3], led by Jim Himes, urged him to do: get a deal with Russia and Iran to end the Syrian civil war, so the world can cooperate to confront ISIS. As Rep. Himes said on the House floor at the time [4], Washington has to accept that a realistic political deal in Syria that allows the world to focus on confronting ISIS is not going to be “perfect” from Washington’s point of view. Urge Congress to support the Syria ceasefire deal by signing our petition. References: 1. http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-paris-consult-french-leaders-attack-082615127--politics.html 2. http://www.npr.org/2015/11/17/456326738/sen-john-mccain-on-isis 3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/rep-jim-himes--54-house-d_b_8222622.html 4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/to-help-syrians-back-real_b_8474446.html

While many Americans have responded to the Paris attacks with compassion, Republicans—including 27 governors and many of the leading GOP candidates for president—are rushing to block refugee families from entering our borders. We all need to stand up, be counted, and reject fearmongering and the scapegoating of refugees.

I have always been horrified that the United States turned back ships of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. I never want to see the United States take that route again. I also think that the only way to fight terrorism is to embrace our values so that people can see the clear difference.