Trump supporter evacuated from Oroville dam: 'I feel like a refugee' . Sikh Temple takes him in

[JI7]

while California went for Clinton. the area with this dam is conservative . this guy seems to try to rationalize what Trump did but he does appear kind of confused and hopefully he will start to see things differently.

<The Lyons had taken refuge in west Sacramento, where volunteers at the Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple opened their doors to about 250 people at the evacuation’s peak.

This story of Americans helping one another is made more interesting by the fact that Lyon voted for Donald Trump, who in his first days as president signed an executive order to suspend the refugee program for 120 days.

Lyon said he supported Trump’s ban on refugees because he had seen on TV that so many were “war age” men. When it was pointed out that the majority of refugees are women and children fleeing violence, he said he was more than willing to make exceptions: for them, green card holders and their families, and the people who had helped the military abroad. “I’m all for that but I’m also not for opening up our country to attacks.”

The Guardian asked a hypothetical – interrupted briefly when Lyon received his own heart-shaped card from the volunteer – what if a refugee were a young Sikh man, fleeing civil war or sectarian violence in India?

“That’s a catch-22 for me. I want to be able to help people but you’ve got to understand, if you’re coming from a country that we know is radicalized,” he said, “we want to vet you or research you first.”

Manpreet Grewal, a volunteer, said that there was hardly any discussion in the community about whether to invite families into the temple. “This is our religion. If anybody has a big problem, we invite everybody. We’re open. Come here.”

>

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/14/trump-supporter-evacuated-oroville-dam-sikh-temple-shelter

[LeftInTX]

1. Sikhs are very community oriented

Most Gurdwaras offer free lunches for the community.

[True Dough]

2. This is awesome!

Thanks for sharing.

[Cha]

3. Hope he changed his mind and the Muslim ban. he should know

that trump treats his fans like mushrooms.

[pkdu]

4. catch-22 says dipshit....doesnt know Sikhs arent "radical Muslim terrorists" in any

shape or form.

[irisblue]

5. He does note there differences between Sikhs & Muslims

Suprising

[Xipe Totec]

11. A fake difference; lumping together all Muslims as radicalized nt

[Silver Gaia]

7. This temple is just a few blocks from me.

It is a wonderful place. They feed anyone who walks through their door every Sunday, too. This story makes me happy, a little light shining through the darkness.

[Crash2Parties]

8. "I'll take what you give me..."

"...but don't expect me to return the favor. I'm still superior, and bigoted because, reasons" is what I read in that reply of his.

I can only hope someday he gains some crumb of introspection.

[Silver Gaia]

9. Did you read the entire article? I don't see this at all.

I see someone whose worldview has been tweaked, someone in whom a seed has been planted. I saw someone in whom that "crumb of introspection" is already present. Any glimmer of hope towards tolerance in one human being toward another is worth our support. One thing that needs to be understood, perhaps, is that Sacramento is incredibly diverse, and not in terms of separate ethnically- and culturally-based communities. For the most part, we just all live together, and it works. (Back in 2004--I think it was?--Time magazine called Sacramento the most ethnically diverse city in America...because of what I just described). This spirit is part of what made it work so well when the local gurdwaras took in evacuees. And I am not surprised that some of our rural neighbors' eyes were opened, even if just a little. It all counts. And seeds tend to grow once planted.

[Crash2Parties]

13. I agree, it all counts, even if just a little. I simply no longer grant conservatives the benefit of

the doubt. If they become woke and start treating everyone like equals some day, I'll gladly be open to it. But no more assuming ahead of time that they are misunderstood / misinformed / willing to compromise, etc.. - that is what in some small part got us into this mess. We "reach across the aisle" and they move the aisle.

[not fooled]

10. Uh, aren't prospective immigrant refugees extensively vetted?

I guess Rush and Faux forgot to mention that.

[wishstar]

12. Yes, and article lets this man's misconception that we haven't been vetting stand unchallenged

I don't see anything in article questioning or correcting his assumption that ban was needed to impose vetting. (When so much turmoil over ban resulted because it stopped people who had already passed extensive vetting)