Friday, November 20, 2015

Are Some of the Refugees Little More than Draft Dodgers?

   Bring in the refugees, bless them, and care for them.
   But, there are concerns we should consider. For one, what of the suggestion that a share of the refugees are little more than draft dodgers? Some suggest more males are fleeing than females, and wonder if they are not simply seeking to get out of being soldiers.
  As this group of observers sees it, the refugees should stay in Syria and fight for their country. Maybe, in this case, fighting for your country means fighting against the current leader, Bashar al-Assad. But, you fight. You fight for your country's future by fighting against its present.
   Yes, I would not be surprised if many of those fleeing Syria do so to step clear of pressure to join one side or the other. With all so many already killed, it would seem the war parties would be scrambling to enroll new soldiers. Who knows but what sometimes it isn't a You-join-us-or-we'll-kill-you dilemma.
   I'm not so sure I feel the males under all this pressure should not be given an out. I somewhat think it not wrong to opt out of the war. Is war something we should be obligated to participate in?
   Sometimes, being compassionate requires not being overly judgmental and condemning. We might raise our eyebrows at their dodging the war, we might consider it would be better if they were to stay and fight, but we help them, anyway. In the end, we say, Perhaps you have good reason for not wanting to fight -- I don't know -- but, either way, what you are doing is not such an evil thing that we will bar you from living among us.
   I know someone will read this and wonder if other countries should feel the same about our draft dodgers and deserters (Bowe Bergdahl comes to mind). I don't know. I do know, in this case, if it is Assad's forces the refugees are not wanting to join, that sounds like a moral decision (for some say Assad has the worst crimes-against-humanity record since the Nazis). And, if it is the rebels side they are dodging, they are not breaking the law, for the rebels do not have force of law to use in compelling them into service. And, if it is terrorist groups (primarily meaning the Islamic State), then, again, they are making the moral decision by steering clear of ISIS.

(Blog updated and the last sentence added 11/21/15)

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