Why are some Americans so terrified of refugees trying to escape unbearable conditions in their own countries?

Listening to Donald Trump, one would think that the U.S.border is totally overrun with millions of Mexicans sneaking into the U.S.

Pew Research Center has found that more people from Mexico are now leaving this country than coming here illegally.

A majority of the millions of Syrian refugees are mothers and their children trying to escape from ISIS. There is no food or clean water for their children; there are no schools or jobs because most of their country has been destroyed and often their husbands have been killed.

To get into the U.S., refugees must go through checks by the FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, Homeland Security and the State Department. The process takes from 1½ to 2 years. Terrorists would be pretty dumb if they spent two years trying to enter the U.S. as refugees when they could get on a plane and fly here.

Germany, Sweden and many other countries are taking in tens of thousands of refugees. France, after the violence in Paris, is not afraid to accept 30,000 more refugees. America has committed to taking only 10,000 and now some politicians such as Gov. Paul LePage are trying to refuse to take any at all.

If people here are too scared to take in refugees from Syria, the Statue of Liberty should be demolished, along with its promise to take in the homeless.

“Home of the brave”? Apparently, not anymore.

Ellen Field, New Gloucester

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