With all the discussion on Syrian Refugees by the US media,
politicians and other various entities, it was interesting to listen to an
interview by MSNBC with the Mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings, where safety of
Dallas citizens was being discussed in relation to his belief that Syrian
refugees should be permitted to enter the country, and the state of Texas. I bring this discussion up as the Mayor made
quite an observation regarding violence and those we should be more concerned
with.
During the interview he noted the depth and extent of the 21
step process for a refugee to gain legal status before entering the U.S. The reporter asked if the Mayor understood
why U.S. citizens were afraid of the violence that could accompany Syrian
refugees, to which he responded that he was very concerned with the safety of
his fellow citizens however, he was “more fearful of large gatherings of young white
men; that come into schools, theatres and shoot people up. But, we don’t isolate young white men on this
issue” (MSNBC) of violence.
This statement struck a nerve after reading the article on Boys,
masculinity and school violence: reaping what we sow, by Sandy white
Watson. In this article she references 17
instances over 9 years (1997 -2006) of 19 young white men who committed murder
and mayhem at various schools within the U.S. During their violent rampages, a
total of 49 people were murdered and 45 were injured. These statics do not take
into account more recent mass shootings in academic settings such as Sandy Hook
Elementary School (2012), Umpqua Community College (2015), etc.
It appears that certain segments of our society are
marginalizing men who have Muslim beliefs and look Arabic versus reflecting on
the issues which plague our society in terms of masculine violence across the
board, including the invisible white male who often flies under the radar.
MSNBC. 21 Nov. 15. Web
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/dallas-mayor-welcomes-refugees-571458115855
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