Letter to the editor: Don’t act out of fear

How King Herod learned he had been tricked by the Wise Men and ordered the killing of all boys in Bethlehem under the age of two. How Mary and Joseph sought safety for their baby by fleeing to Egypt.

Jesus began life as a refugee. It is unsurprising that he reached out to the stranger, the foreigner, the other. It is unsurprising that the faith that evolved from his teachings and death reached out to embrace people of all races in all lands.

Living one’s values is not risk free. We can never be certain that no immigrant or refugee will ever commit a crime.

What we can be certain of is that acting out of fear and hatred will not make us safer.

We are a nation of immigrants and refugees. When we see refugees through the lens of fear and suspicion, we forget our history.

When we allow prejudice and hatred to keep us from helping desperate Syrian refugees, the terrorists win. We are better than that.

Rick Davis

The Dalles