Stokes letter: Refugees

With regard to Hy Kloc’s guest opinion published in the Statesman on Dec. 6, thank you for writing such a clear and true message about the responsibility we all have towards those fleeing unspeakable violence and oppression. Years ago, while in high school, I used to question why lessons repeatedly covered World War II, Hitler and the Holocaust. The response that resonated with me at that time was that we never want to forget it — never want to repeat mistakes of the past. In recalling the treatment of the Japanese Americans during World War II — again — Americans are reminded of mistakes in the past so that we don’t make the same mistakes. That’s what I tell my grandchildren when they ask the same type of question with regard to studying history. Unfortunately, the loudest voices we hear seem to be urging actions that will repeat mistakes of the past because of “fear.” Thank you for your voice of reason and thank you for encouraging readers to reach out to our legislators and urge them to use reason, not fear, to guide our practices.

This story was originally published December 25, 2015 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Stokes letter: Refugees."