Antelope High School

Home of the Titans

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

Rachel Dang
7801 Titan Drive
Antelope Ca, 95843
Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capital, Suite 1173
Sacramento, Ca 95814
To Whom It May Concern:
As a citizen of the United States, I have the right to express myself, as well as the right to vote for a official who
represents me, and therefore work toward passing laws that reflect my beliefs. With recent debates on how to
manage the Syrian refugee crisis in light of the Syrian War, after reading and gathering information on the
subject, I believe that law statemakers should give the benefit of the doubt to refugees seeking safety and relief,
though the strict screening process is a definite necessity in times such as these.
From reading various sources regarding the refugee crisis, one can gather that the crisis itself is a consequence
of the Syrian Civil War that has raged on for nearly five years as of 2016. The country is in economic ruin, its
infrastructure destroyed and its people spread across the world. As fighting continues to escalate within the
country, as outside powers such as the United States and Russia intervene resembling a second Cold War. The
life expectency has decreased not only caused by the fighting directly, but also indirectly as conditions in the
country decline. And as the people of Syria are suffering the world has been slow to realize, only taking notice
when it begins to affect their own countries (Black).
The situation has a disturbing resemblence to a prior event in history where a surge of Jewish refugees came to
America. They were seeking asylum from the Nuremburg Laws passed by the Nazis as the precursor to what
would be the concentration camps of the Holocaust. And in their time of need, the United States deemed them a
threat, as spies for the Germans. As a result, the Jewish refugees were turned away and forced to return to
Europe. Eerily similar to todays Syrian refugee crisis, though not running from religious prosecution but war,
the refugees have also been suspected as way for individuals planning on causing havoc, and as such have been
greeted with suspicion, even more so that they are escaping from a war torn country. Some even argue that
times are different now and that the Syrian refugees therefore are a bigger threat then the Jewish ever were
(Associated Press). Despite peoples assertions that they are different because of time and circumstance, the
refugee crisis today is, at its core, very similar to the Jewish crisis in the aspect that the refugees were and are
all humans simply seeking a safe haven.

4635 Elverta Road, Antelope, CA 95843

Antelope High School

Home of the Titans
Principal, John Becker
Phone: (916)782-6565 ext. 1047
Current lawmakers are faced with the difficult decision of allowing refugees in, and
facing possible terrorist attacks, or simply refusing to take them in and keeping U.S. citizens safe. It is not a
clear cut choice, both sides have their arguements. To Merrill Matthewsand many others that see the Syrians as
a possible threat, they understand that, yet these are people in need and not all pose a threat. However, the small
chance that they are not outweighs the chance that they are in sacrificing the safety of United States citizens.
Furthermore, they simply do not trust current administration to accurately provide the needed procedures, based
upon multiple previous failures. On the other hand Don Kusler and others that agree with his stance argue that
the nation is buying into fear tactics used by the enemy and that refugees do not pose a serious threat to the
United States. They say that it goes against everything this country was built apon and our history. I agree that
fear has overtaken the country and that Syrian refugees are not as dangerous as the media will make them out to
be. However, I also understand that to many others, it is jeophradizing their safety. As Don Kusler says, the
sceening process is extremely difficult, and I believe that any possible dangers will be successfully rooted out
by our government. I say that Syrian refugees deserve a second chance after the suffering they have faced in
their own homes.
My purpose in contacting you today was to assert my strong opinion on the Syrian refugee crisis. I strongly urge
you, Governer Brown, to vote to allow Syrian refugees to enter the country after meeting the requirements of
the screening process. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Rachel Dang
Antelope High School Student
Respectful. Responsible. Proud
GO TITANS!

4635 Elverta Road, Antelope, CA 95843