Refugee?

[Saffron]

So last year, when the hurricanes hit Florida, three right in a row, and people were displaced, did anyone call them refugees?

I was here on the DIS through all three of them and never saw the term used here once.

 

[BuckNaked]

So last year, when the hurricanes hit Florida, three right in a row, and people were displaced, did anyone call them refugees?

I was here on the DIS through all three of them and never saw the term used here once.

I don't recall tens of thousands of them being spread out all over the United States, with no homes to return to, but maybe I missed it.

They are people who had to flee from a horrible situation. I've been calling them refugees and will probably continue to do so.

Same here.

 

[BuckNaked]

Gosh, I wonder if it was who said it rather than what was said that was the problem????

Could be. Jesse's always one of the first to make a racial mountain out of an insignficant molehill, so it isn't hard to understand the reaction that many people have to him.

 

[peachgirl]

I don't recall tens of thousands of them being spread out all over the United States, with no homes to return to, but maybe I missed it.

But that doesn't make them refugees and other hurricane victims not refugees.

I don't know, but since hurricane victims from anywhere don't fit the definiton of refugee, I'm not going to call them that. I can't figure out why anyone would want to.

I think I'll call them people.

 

[peachgirl]

Jesse's always one of the first to make a racial mountain out of an insignficant molehill,

Yeah, only this time Bush did it too...or neither of them did it. You choose.

 

[BuckNaked]

But that doesn't make them refugees and other hurricane victims not refugees.

To me, it has nothing to do with them being hurricane victims, it has to do with them being forced from their homes and into shelters and cities all over the country, places that many if not most of them would have ever been to if not for this storm. To me, there's a huge difference between being out of your home temporarily while it's being rebuilt and being forced to leave your home, possibly never to return.

I don't know, but since hurricane victims from anywhere don't fit the definiton of refugee, I'm not going to call them that. I can't figure out why anyone would want to.

Call them whatever you like. To me, they are refugees, and I'll continue to refer to them that way.

Yeah, only this time Bush did it too...or neither of them did it.

Hardly - I have no reason to believe that the President would bring it up for racial reasons, but it's a pretty safe bet that Jackson's only reason for doing so was so that he could have another excuse for accusing the rest of America of being racists. It's his MO, and it's pretty well known.

 

[Saffron]

I don't recall tens of thousands of them being spread out all over the United States, with no homes to return to, but maybe I missed it.

And why would that make a difference? There were people who didn't have homes to return to, why does the number of people make a difference?

Weren't you one of the people objecting to be called a "rightie" last night because it lumps people into a category that not everyone fits into blah, blah, blah?

I think I won't label anyone something they don't want to be labeld, if that's what you want to do , but then maybe you wouldn't want to object so loudly when others do it to you.

 

[peachgirl]

Call them whatever you like. To me, they are refugees, and I'll continue to refer to them that way.

Hey, you can call them apples for all I care, but it doesn't mean you're using the correct term by definition...which you are not.

If you like using the wrong words, have a ball!

It's his MO, and it's pretty well known.

Wow, you sure know a lot about other people's MO's these days. I'm really, really impressed!

 

[BuckNaked]

And why would that make a difference? There were people who didn't have homes to return to, why does the number of people make a difference?

If you can't tell the difference between people that are living in the same area they came from while their homes are restored and people that are shipped out all over the country and left to the good will of others, I don't know what to tell you.

Weren't you one of the people objecting to be called a "rightie" last night because it lumps people into a category that not everyone fits into blah, blah, blah?

Nope. I didn't object to being called a rightie, I objected being assigned a stereotype based on being conservative. And I objected to the hypocrisy of saying stereotyping is OK in some cases, but not in others.

I think I won't label anyone something they don't want to be labeld, if that's what you want to do , but then maybe you wouldn't want to object so loudly when others do it to you.

I didn't object - please read what I wrote above.

 

[peachgirl]

And why would that make a difference? There were people who didn't have homes to return to, why does the number of people make a difference?

It doesn't.

Whether one's home is ever going to be re-built has nothing to do with being or not being a refugee.

How far one is removed from their home has nothing to do with whether they are a refugee.

Whether there is 1 person or 1 million involved has nothing to do with whether or not you are a refugee.

It's a degrading term that I wouldn't want to be called and the President recognized it as such. I'll leave it to others to decide why people want to insist on using it.

 

[BuckNaked]

Hey, you can call them apples for all I care, but it doesn't mean you're using the correct term by definition...which you are not.

Sure I am - one who flees in search of refuge. You don't think that's what they did?

If you like using the wrong words, have a ball!

And if you like misunderstanding definitions, have a ball!

Wow, you sure know a lot about other people's MO's these days. I'm really, really impressed!

You should be! It's a talent that many obviously don't possess!

It's a degrading term that I wouldn't want to be called and the President recognized it as such.

Degrading? How so?

 

[peachgirl]

Sure I am - one who flees in search of refuge. You don't think that's what they did?

That's one definition, but not what most sensible people think of when you say refugee. However, if you want to go with that one, then all hurricane victims who leave their homes are refugees. How far they travel from their homes, how long they are gone, whether they ever return or whether their houses are rebuilt does not matter.

Either all hurricane victims that leave their homes...if even for a night, even for a few hours..are refugees or none of them are.

It's a talent that many obviously don't possess!

And one that many think they have and don't.

And if you like misunderstanding definitions, have a ball!

No misunderstanding at all....How long you are gone, how far away you go, or how many leave has nothing to do with whether or not you are a refugee.

 

[Goofyzgurl]

From websters refugee is a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution. To call them refugees suggests that they are not part of us and that they are people who don't have the same rights as citizens of the United States. I've heard them compared ( on this board) to illegal and legal aliens, like they're from another country, "ship them somewhere else, we can't handle them in this state, there are not enough resources, jobs, etc"...they are citizens of the U.S. I think the President and Jesse Jackson have a good point.

 

[BuckNaked]

That's one definition, but not what most sensible people think of when you say refugee. However, if you want to go with that one, then all hurricane victims who leave their homes are refugees.

Since it is one definition, then how is that you claim I'm not using the correct term by definition?

Either all hurricane victims that leave their homes...if even for a night, even for a few hours..are refugees or none of them are.

If that's how you choose to see it, more power to you. After all, I'm not the one that telling you how you have to refer to people.

And one that many think they have and don't.

You've yet to prove me wrong on my assigning of MOs, so I guess I've got it!!

To call them refugees suggests that they are not part of us and that they are people who don't have the same rights as citizens of the United States.

That's how you choose to take it, which is certainly your right. And since that's the case, then by all means, don't call them refugees.

 

[Charade]

Personally, I think they are refugees. They sought refuge from the hurricane. I don't think it's demeaning at all. JMHO. If that happened to me, I wouldn't really care what I was called as long as I was safe and sound.

 

[BuckNaked]

Personally, I think they are refugees. They sought refuge from the hurricane. I don't think it's demeaning at all. JMHO. If that happened to me, I wouldn't really care what I was called as long as I was safe and sound.

ITA.

 

[Goofyzgurl]

That's how you choose to take it, which is certainly your right. And since that's the case, then by all means, don't call them refugees.

And out of respect, I don't.

 

[BuckNaked]

And out of respect, I don't.

Whatever floats your boat.

 

[J.Cooper]

Refugees is the wrong term. They are not refugees. They are SURVIVORS!!!!

 

[BuckNaked]

Refugees is the wrong term. They are not refugees. They are SURVIVORS!!!!

All refugees are survivors.