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My friend was asking me what I thought about the Syrian refugee crisis happening, specifically regarding Syrians wanting to the make their way into other countries. He was asking about how moral it was for someone to be against allowing others to enter the country because of recent incidents where terrorist acts happen shortly after. Whether or not they were carried about by Syrians themselves is less relevant because a person's fear will increase due to the circumstances surrounding it - Refugees enter, terrorist action happens, people get scared. So his question was: Should someone feel morally obligated to harbor a stranger though that may be a messenger of death? Or is the fear of one or more of them being a big problem okay too?
The logical side of me answered like this:
Terrorist actions happen in our own country from citizens whose families have lived here for generations. Other countries experience similar problems, so I can't accept a person's argument where they fear those things will happen to them, even in only increasing fashion, because the same increase could happen regardless. Logically speaking, one would not be increasing their chances anymore than they would for taking any other stranger. If they would a battered stranger in their home land take refuge, why not a foreign one?
---- Then my rational brain kicked in:
But we're talking about reality. Is it right to suggest that someone is in moral violation for giving in to their fears? Especially a fear that could cause death among themselves or others. I don't blame people for not wanting to take people in, regardless of homegrown terrorism. Why give an increased probability of it happening?
----- This isn't easy for my brain.
I had to stop and think for a second. Instead of using similes and metaphors, I wanted to dive into the deeper philosophical problem at hand. What is the real question I feel like I'm trying to ask myself?
That's when all of my brain put together, said this:
Can you carry the weight? That is to say, no matter your decision, can you carry the weight of the consequence? If your do harbor a death messenger who is able harm others, can you carry the weight of your own conscience? and the mental fortitude to not generally blame a population for the sin of one or few? If you can't, can you carry the weight of understanding you may be denying innocent people the ability to survive, after being forced to leave the homes which they begged to stay?
I'm not sure I personally know the answer yet. But I have a much better starting point to find an answer because I have a better understanding of the question. As I get older, I continue to improve my knowledge of how I perceive humanity. I like to think of it as building pillars, and in this case I've started a foundation for answers that will come forth with each situation that requires me to ask myself - Can I carry this weight?
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Now a days, western countries have societal models build around certain "constants" (Monetary value, population, population distribution, Available jobs, unemployment etc.)
Even the debate on 'minimum salaries' requires certain prerequisite to be fulfilled. Think of population aging problems, like Japan is experiencing - as most western countries are experiencing. Here the societal model depends on a certain 'constant' ratio of workers vs non workers. Usually the argument goes that the more old people in retirement, the higher the burden on the society as a whole. For some european countries, it is as feeding them with a growing unemploymentrate of over 1% per year since 2008 and still continuing.
The other end of the problem is, that the job creation within the current societal boundaries is not possible. Most countries fund a minimum rate for unemployed people; which means that there are less and less money to go around overall.
The only real way to solve it, is abolishing ideals of minimum wages (Essentially making being a Wal-mart employee seeming lucrative) AND not only reducing, but removing funding of the ill, poor and unemployed.
It is a total system breakdown; resulting in going back to a feudal society (For economic and moral norms)
So let's repeat your question: Can you carry the weight?
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Equal opportunity for all.
I give people the benefit of the doubt.
It's my responsibility to accept people and to help those in need.
Whether they turn out to be a terrorist in the future is on them.
It's not my problem.
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EPT
