If 2.5 million people fled violence in Syria, we, reading our newspapers in America, would not say the neighboring countries were being invaded; we would say the 2.5 people were refugees.
If 2.7 million people were displaced by the Balkan War in what was formerly called Yugoslavia, we, listening to the news in America, would not say the neighboring countries were being invaded; we, again, would say those fleeing the violence were but refugees.
If people fled one warring nation in Africa to find peace in another, we would be understanding, and want them to have the peace they sought.
But, if 57,000 child immigrants came north from Central America, passing through Mexico and then crossing into the United States, that would be an invasion.
I will grant that the violence might not be as great. I will grant that they could go to closer countries to the south than coming all this far to the north. Still, whatever reason they are coming for, they are not coming as invaders. It seems most of them truly are needy people. To call needy people reaching out their hands for help "invaders" does not seem equitable, just or clear-minded, to me.
Oh, I am aware that when those in other lands flee, the people in the lands they flee to also reject the refugees, same as we are rejecting the child refugees. I read of the rejection in Germany of those from the Balkan War.
But, I would that we would not reject a needy people, even as I would that Germany would not reject needy people.
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