After Paris was rattled by terror attacks on Nov. 13, 2015, some have argued the U.S. should stop accepting Syrian refugees.
Believing some fleeing the war-torn region could be affiliated with ISIS, a majority of governors have spoken out against refugee resettlement in their states, and several presidential candidates have doubled down on that idea.
But if you ask author Phil Klay, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and author of "Redeployment," they've got it all wrong.
Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images.
On Nov. 19, 2015, Klay took to Twitter to explain why, exactly, accepting refugees is the right thing to do.
In 17 tweets, the author outlined how his experience as a Marine helped shape his view on the issue, and even quoted Ronald Reagan — a political icon often praised by many of the same presidential candidates who vehemently oppose accepting refugees — to help make his point.
"I get that people are scared," Klay tweeted.
"But it's only during frightening times when you get to find out if your country really deserves to call itself the 'home of the brave.'"
Not only has his series of tweets been collectively retweeted and "liked" thousands and thousands of times, but several media outlets took note of the veteran's views, as well.
It's likely that the "attempt to effectively close our borders to Syrian refugees" Klay mentioned was in reference to the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act — a proposal that would essentially halt resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the U.S.
Despite the bill's popularity, however, several leaders are standing with Syria's refugees.
Many leaders are reminding the world that Syria's refugees are, in fact, the victims of violence.
Despite a rise in anti-refugee sentiment, several countries from around the globe, such as France and Scotland, are undoubtedly standing with those in dire need of assistance.
In the U.S., other presidential candidates have spoken out in defense of housing refugees from the region, claiming "we cannot allow terrorists to intimidate us into abandoning our values and our humanitarian obligations."
In a speech given at the the G-20 conference in Turkey earlier this week, Obama spelled out the need to separate religious extremists responsible for the Paris attacks with the victims of those very same extremists.
Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images.
"We also have to remember that many of these refugees are the victims of terrorism themselves," Obama said. "That's what they're fleeing."
Klay's tweets prove that, regardless of what side of the political aisle you're on, compassion is a vital American value we all should remember.
We're not at war with Islam. We're at war with extremism.
And, as articulated so well by Klay, it's important to stay true to the values that make America great — especially when it means staying brave for the sake of those who need us during some frightening times.
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
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Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
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Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
What I'd give to be able to throw a tantrum like that.
To any parent dealing with a toddler tantrum—Godspeed.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."