This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Fear makes people do strange things. First, some need a target to act against in order to feel a sense of control. Enter the poor suffering refugees. They are an easy enemy. If we just keep them out, these people say, then we'll be safe.

The truth is, the enemy is already here among us. According to the FBI and Homeland Security, there are already "sleeper cells" in this country. There are many lone wolves waiting to attack. Closing our borders to refugees does very little to keep us safe, but prolongs the suffering of families who will be twice victimized. These people have been driven out of their homes by ISIS and now will be thwarted in their attempts to find safe haven. Another victory for ISIS as the refugee crisis intensifies.

It is a false security we seek and it is on the backs of the suffering. We as a nation are better than this. Let's not allow fear to guide our nation's moral compass.

Lily Grove

Salt Lake City