Despite the rampant Islamophobia in today’s media, Americans are much more likely to be killed by a white man with a gun than a Syrian refugee. Just ask the victims of Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer, Dylann Roof or Adam Lanza. During an appearance on MSNBC, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings shared his views on the matter.
Stating he was “more fearful” of white men on shooting sprees than Middle Eastern immigrants, Rawlings pointed out the hypocrisy in current immigration and policing tactics. He pointed out that American law enforcement is doing little to address the young white men who are turning to violence and that no one is proposing we lock them up or ban them from the country. Rawlings has spoken to Texas Governor Greg Abbott about bringing more refugees to his city, but the governor remains opposed to any refugee resettlement in the Lone Star State.
Government officials have frequently clashed over what to do about Syrian refugees. Many big-city mayors, including those from NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston, want to welcome refugees to their city. They cite the importance of immigrants in American history or the humanitarian needs of Syrian children in their appeals.
They’re often overruled by their state’s more conservative governors. Indiana Governor and Vice-President Elect Mike Pence was turned down by a federal court when he attempted to block all Syrian refugees from his state. With his impending rise to national power, Americans will have to wait until January to learn what the official policy towards Syrian refugee settlement will be. Of course, no one other than Rawlings is talking about how to solve the epidemic of young white male mass shooters.