You sometimes can't see the truth when the media is fogged over by blustery hate speech. You miss the human consequences because of a for-profit media that is fueled mainly by ratings, and lately the ratings are for a very misguided reality star. Fortunately, Fareed Zakaria's GPS did open up the possibility for sensible dialogue, when he absolutely demolished Trump's sycophantic and pandering-to-the-far-right-notion that all Muslims could or should EVER be banned from entering the United States. Uncharted territories is where that could lead, and they are an historical and precarious place we, as a nation, do NOT want to go.
Later in the show, Zakaria brought on Brandon Stanton, of Humans of New York, who brought on one of the members of twelve families he's trying to help get to the United States from their war-ravaged and dangerous homelands. All accomplished people, many with PhD.s and other families needing special care for a very handicapped loved one, however, the degree of selective purview by American immigration officials has become insanely rigid.
These are not wild Jihadists, these are wonderful human beings, and there's no better representative for these people than Aya, who originally escaped Iraq's war landscape and then off to Syria, for some more of the same war-ravaged violence. She is currently living in Turkey and recently received some terrible news. Her and her family's bags were packed and then, she got a rejection letter, and her dreams died with her hopes. Why? Because some Parisian, radicalized and disenfranchised citizens of Arab origin decided to carry out a terror atrocity? How is this her fault? The twenty year-old translator is supporting her whole family and dreams of the opportunities and the differences she can make in our country. Any nation would be much better off if more Ayas lived there, I can say that for certain.
The video becomes very touching when Brandon explains why she can't come to the U.S.A. He and, ultimately, Fareed Zakaria are brought to tears by the sheer tragedy and STUPIDITY that prevents these worthy people from simply living a safe and free life in a country that would benefit from their citizenship. Stanton cries about how insanely selective we are being, with the power to deny and destroy lives capriciously.
"People like Aya, who is one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever met, she's done everything right, she's done everything right, she did it the legal way, she applied and they told her no, and she's got no where to go! What's going to happen to her?"
Tearfully, Fareed closed the segment and thanked Brandon and poor Aya. Fear-mongering has destroyed what our country once stood for and frankly, it's humiliating to watch.
