I don't think anyone who was arguing for helping the refugees was suggesting a "let everyone in to Europe without checks" policy. The temptation is to use the discovery of the passport as proof that helping the refugees is the wrong thing to do. But that overlooks the fact that most of the suicide gunmen appear to have been european citizens and were not migrants....
The Paris tragedy was horrific and my heart goes out to everyone affected. Like a lot of people, I stayed up most of friday night/saturday morning watching the 24 hour news as the situation developed and then got under control. The unity and support shown for the French people is moving and heartwarming.
Of course "us Europeans" shouldn't forget that we are not the only target for ISIS, as the horrific suicide bombing in Beirut on Thursday demonstrated and which unfortunately got next to no media coverage. But those victims were human beings too and they count and they are worthy of our sympathy, solidarity and support as much as our French brothers and sisters
As all too few people have pointed out, the biggest number of ISIS victims are Muslims, but somehow we overlook that fact in the "them and us" arguments we have on threads like these.
As Village Idiot said, somehow we have to get creative to help our fellow human family in need as well as try and stay safe ourselves.
The answer isn't to turn off our compassion for our fellow humans. That's exactly what ISIS want.
I was sickened by Donald Trump's comment that, had the French had guns themselves, this tragedy wouldn't have happened. Complete and utter tosh, obviously, but just goes to show how people twist tragedies such as this to support their own political agenda and posturing.
