Hungry. Tired. Dying.

"The disappointment caused by the West's inaction created a fertile recruiting ground for extremists, who told those who had lost their loved ones that they were their only hope"

Majed, a 26-year-old civil society activist, on the Conflict in Syria

(Reference: BBC article “Syria: The Story of the Conflict”)

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The West’s inaction and disinterest in promoting peace and finding a solution to the problem in Syria has contributed to a global refugee crisis. Millions of Syrians have been displaced by the chaotic violence in their country. These refugees have no hope and no future. What started out as nonviolent demonstrations for democracy has turned into a bitter, seemingly endless bloodbath. And the West pretends it can’t see the red.

We failed Syria when we ignored the atrocities and human rights violations that left so many homeless, fatherless, motherless, and hungry. And we are failing them again as we use their pain as pawns in our idiotic political chess match. The Syrian refugees are human beings. They are human beings who have been abused by the factions in their own country and now are being used for our country’s political game. Stop it.

Help these people.

Stop ignoring them. Stop stereotyping. Stop punishing children for the sins of a few.

Over half of the refugees are children, who have no access to education. They are a lost generation with no birth certificates and no hope. We need to stop this paranoia that absolves us from responsibility.

We have a responsibility to care for others. We have the duty to promote justice and peace in the world. We have the privilege of offering help to the helpless.

But we aren’t fulfilling our duties. We are shirking our responsibilities. We should be mortified by our prejudices. We should be ashamed of our ignorance. We should set aside our fears and pursue productive paths to peacemaking around the world.

We must realize that with privilege comes responsibility. We have a responsibility to act justly. Freezing (and practically speaking, this is what the SAFE act is doing) Syrian refugee admission into the United States is not just.

They are hungry. They are tired. They are dying. We can help.