Misinformation, poor thinking on refugees

Perhaps one of the most bigoted letters to the editor in my long memory was that of Doug Eden of Geneva ("Finding Homes for Refugees" on Sept. 14). First of all, Mr. Eden seems to suggest that the withdrawal of Afghan nationals from their country last month was simply a Democratic Party operation rather than an American initiative triggered by the collapse of the Afghan government and military.

In his insult of a former president, he seems to suggest that Barack Obama grew up in Martha's Vineyard and would not condone resettling Afghans in his "hometown." As a matter of fact, President Obama has adopted Chicago as his hometown and more than 500 Afghans are being welcomed into the Chicago community. Then, Eden asserts that neither House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nor Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would abide the rehoming of Afghans in either California or New York.

He complains that they're "unemployable" and will "live on the backs of taxpayers." Isn't he aware that some of the greatest Americans of all time were not born here? Here are just a few of the folks who came to the United States from "non-English speaking" countries: Madeleine Albright, Czech Republic, former U.S. Secretary of State: Christiane Amanpour, Iran, TV news correspondent; Anousheh Ansari, Iran, astronaut; Isacc Asimov, Russia, writer; John James Audubon, Haiti, ornithologist; Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former Governor of California; Ieoh Ming Pei, China, architect; Albert Einstein, Germany, scientist; Melania Trump, Slovenia, former First Lady of the United States and many, many more.

You will have to hold out slim hope that your offspring will not someday be reporting to the offspring of one of these "unemployable refugees."

W. Paul Pearce

Lake Barrington