Antelope High School

Home of the Titans

Principal, John Becker
Phone: (916)782-6565 ext. 1047

Megan Babcock
7801 Titan Drive
Antelope Ca, 95843

Governor Jerry Brown

c/o State Capital, Suite 1173
Sacramento, Ca 95814

To Whom It May Concern:

Since 2011 when violence broke out in Syria, 11 million Syrians have fled their homes for
safety, and more than 250,000 people have died states Don Kusler, in an article for Tribune News
Service. My name is Megan Babcock, and I am a Sophomore at Antelope High School. Our Honors
English class has recently read Night by Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, accompanied by
many articles of the Syrian refugee crisis and the international debates it is stirring. There is shocking
evidence that can consider the Syrian refugee crisis, a parallel to the Jewish refugees that were fleeing
the holocaust. The U.S. has not learned from its past mistakes for example, the Japanese-American
concentration camp, denying the Jewish refugees, and are not trying to the best of their abilities to
make amends to not make the same mistakes with the Syrian refugees. In this letter, I will present why
the Syrians need our help, how the U.S. has mishandled this issue and what you as a governor should
do to prevent the vicious cycle of mistakes in American history.

In 2010, a revolution against repressive dictators or governments would take place in many
Middle Eastern and African countries called the Arab Spring, which would be the beginning of a long
and damaging war. (The European Refugee Crisis and Syria Explained). Whereas many leaders and
officials stepped down from their positions, Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad did not want to give up
his power, and fought back using violence and brutal methods, turning Syria into a lethal war zone
(The European Refugee Crisis and Syria Explained). As a result, Syria is now the leading country of
refugees. Many statistics show that the economy of Syria is plummeting, and their people are
impoverished and declining, The number of wounded is put at 1.9 million. Life expectancy has
dropped from 70 in 2010 to 55.4 in 2015. Overall economic losses are estimated at $255 billion
(Black). Its evident that Syria is neither safe nor inhabitable for its citizens, and as they flee their
homes to seek shelter, foreign countries are doing the very minimum to help these innocent people,
including the United States.

The Syrians are desperately trying to find safety in other countries who are refusing to take
them in, much like the Jews who were also attempting to escape oppression. The American
government and its people are blinded by the same rhetoric, and judgement. Initially, during World
War II, the American government set limitations on refugees entering the countries, in fear that the
Nazis would plant agents, spies, and saboteurs among the refugees (Geller). Anti-semitism is much

4635 Elverta Road, Antelope, CA 95843

 Antelope High School
Home of the Titans
Principal, John Becker
Phone: (916)782-6565 ext. 1047

alike xenophobia, which exists in present society due to the 9/11 terror
attack. They became skeptical of all refugees, and untrusting. In reality most were law-abiding people
who at the end of the day, simply wanted to keep their families safe: the characteristics and mindset of
most refugees. This skepticism of the Jews in the 30s is comparable to the situation of Syrians trying
to enter the US today. They must go through a long process of vetting which leaves the refugees in
temporary camps for months to years while their personal stories are evaluated and checked (Kusler).
Moreover, the accusation labelling refugees as potential threats to the nation is reasonable, they are
incorrect. The pessimism in the 30s was unaccommodating to the fact that There was no
international conspiracy of German Jews in the 1930s attempting to carry out daily attacks on civilians
on several continents (Geller). This evidence is a reflection of the further evidence that according the
the Migration Policy Institute, of the 784,000 refugees resettled in the U.S. since [2001]...just three
have been arrested on charges of planning terrorist activities (Geller). The fear of both groups is
irrational due to the fact that they were or are not the actual threats. The real threats were left at their
homes that they most likely will not be able to return to. Thus, the Jews and the Syrians faced false
allegations that labelled them as dangers, when it is clearly seen that they were not, and are not.

With additional research of your position on the Syrian refugee situation, I strongly agree
where you stand. Also, I would like to thank you for your open mind and also believing that our nation
should be accessible to Syrians who are seeking asylum. You are reasonable to think that screening is
necessary, but it should be to a certain extent. For Syrians to wait such an excessive time to be granted
asylum may lead them to feel hopeless. Which contradicts what America stands for. As Don Kusler
best put in his article, the Statue of Liberty is a universal symbol of freedom and prosperity, we would
be wrong to deny them what are human rights. Additionally, you are one of out of the many other
governors who approve of providing sanctuary for the Syrians, and by doing so you are refusing to
endorse the existing xenophobia. To be of ignorance and spite towards a group who has sincerely
done nothing wrong, and centralizing the blame onto them is certainly not the American way. Again,
America is a highly developed democracy that has still yet to prove that we deserve our freedom, by
sharing it.

For all the following reasons: the U.S. would be falling in the same vicious cycle and the
Syrians are simply civilians, I strongly urge that you vote for what is best for the Syrian refugees:
their freedom. Our nation has always been pronounced the land of opportunity and freedom, and the
refugees deserve the same. Thank you for your time as well as your consideration.

Sincerely,

Megan Babcock
Antelope High School Student
Respectful. Responsible. Proud
GO TITANS!

4635 Elverta Road, Antelope, CA 95843