Thursday, the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners passed the resolution presented Monday regarding opposition to any efforts to bring Syrian refugees into Santa Rosa County. However, they did so with a change to its language. Instead of “Syrian,” the resolution will refer to “not fully vetted” refugees, effectively removing any reference to Syria.
Chairman Lane Lynchard was the first to question the resolution this time. He said he wasn’t comfortable with the language. He said he was concerned with safety in handling refugees, but didn’t like how the resolution was worded.
Commissioner Bob Cole said he has no problem with refugees or immigrants but noted they have to go through the proper channels. He mentioned how America’s forefathers came to Ellis Island as well as later times he described as “embarrassing” when the government isolated Jewish or Japanese citizens out of fear. Cole said he believes any nationality should be thoroughly vetted before taking residence here.
Commissioner Don Salter brought this sentiment to the present saying he had recently read about 75 people being sworn in as American citizens. He said he would support a change to the resolution removing a reference to Syria.
County Attorney Roy Andrews said the substance of the resolution hinges on refugees being fully vetted. “What I propose is the language modified to remove reference to Syrianrefugees and to encourage appropriate authorities to not relocate any refugees not fully vetted.”
Commissioner Jayer Williamson was the only one to say he fully supported the original resolution as written citing 24 governors in a bipartisan opinion supporting similar efforts. He read a letter by Congressman Jeff Miller saying “the lack of proper vetting creates a gaping hole in our homeland security and presents an imminent danger for Americans here at home.” He said an appropriate analogy for the situation reads “I don’t lock my door at night because I fear my neighbors and I hate the outside world. I do it because I love the people under my roof.”
Public reaction was smaller Thursday. Two spoke, one for and one against the resolution. The first woman asked how Jesus would vote and said the refugees are people being bombed out of their homeland. The second asked, “What are we going to do when they want Sharia (law)?” She suggested other Islamic countries take the refugees.
While Williamson said he would not object to the altered resolution, he said he fully supported the original and so it passed unanimously. Note the federal government has the final say over what the country does with the refugees.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Refugee resolution passes with crucial change