Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) just sent out the following email:
I've written to you quite a few times about Syria over the past few months, and with President Obama's decision to bring American intervention to a vote in Congress, I wanted to update you once more.
First and foremost, the decision to come to Congress is the right one.
It allows more time for deliberation and to answer the questions: is military action going to make the situation better for the Syrian people, and how can we make sure our involvement doesn't escalate and make things worse?
The question isn't whether or not chemical weapons use is unacceptable - of course it is - it's whether or not we can make the situation in Syria better. And that is going to be my guiding principle during this conversation.
I enter this debate extremely skeptical that military intervention can improve the situation in Syria, a position I've held since the beginning of this conversation, and believe that any action we take should start with increased humanitarian aid both inside and outside the country. As I've written before, we should start by improving conditions in refugee camps and help other nations bear the burden of displaced persons.
But I'll allow the administration to present its evidence and make its case. And I'll let you know which way I intend to vote as soon as I make a final decision.
All the best,
Chris Murphy
Although many Senators and Representatives have been beating the drums for war, very few have been emphasizing the need for humanitarian assistance, especially for the more than
two million refugees (half of which are children). Money spent on tomahawk missiles could be, instead, spent on providing the necessary relief for refugees and assistance to the countries taking them in.
Angelina Jolie, who is a UN special envoy on refugees, remarked,
“There should be no disagreement over the need to alleviate human suffering, and no doubt of the world's responsibility to do more,” she said. “We have to support the millions of innocent people ripped from their homes, and increase the ability of neighboring countries to cope with the influx."
If only our elected officials listened.
I'd recommend donating to one of the organizations providing humanitarian aid:
UNHCR: http://donate.unhcr.org/...
Syrian Arab Red Crescent: http://www.redcross.org.uk/...
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders): http://www.msf.org/...
Oxfam: http://www.oxfam.org/...