While I don’t usually find myself agreeing with Republican representatives in Utah, I agree with Gov. Gary Herbert’s sentiments in his letter to Donald Trump about accepting more international refugees into the state of Utah.
Relating it to the foundation of our state was an interesting approach, because I had never thought of LDS pioneers as “religious refugees fleeing persecution.” But I can appreciate that, from his point of view, this allows citizens of Utah to empathize with refugees.
At my high school in Salt Lake City, refugees from different parts of the world brought rich culture and varying worldviews to a predominantly white school. From what I could tell, refugees were embraced at my high school and included in social circles, religious activities and sporting events. If the need for refugee placements is not decreasing and they are continuing to thrive in our communities, then there is no reason to decrease their allowance into our state.
Rita McNeil, Salt Lake City