Mayor Chris Koos of Normal is speaking out against a wave of xenophobia aimed at Syrian refugees. Koos is among 62 U.S. Mayors who have signed an open letter to Congress saying a ban on Syrian refugees is not warranted.
Koos says the Syrians who become refugees are not radical, and not militant. Koos urges taking a step back from politics and taking a look at the thorough process already in place.
He says it was important for the Mayors to take a stand on the issue because many state Governors have taken the opposite position. Koos says mayors are often more pragmatic than Governors and that Governors tend to be more political.
He says often groups have opposed refugees coming to American shores and it's wrong. Koos says a climate of fear often happens when a large number of refugees needs safe haven. He says there were similar worries about a wave of Vietnamese refugees in the mid 1970s, and none of those fears became reality.
Koos says no one refugee group should be singled out. He says all should pass the same standard.
