Eric Johnson: Quite the contortions

The cynicism of Peder Zane’s Dec. 2 column “On Syrian refugees, McCrory has right response for N.C.” is breathtaking. We should shun the men, women and children fleeing horrific violence, he says, but only while taking great care to acknowledge the misery of their situation and the richness of our immigrant history. We should close the door on desperate people “fleeing hellholes where chemical weapons, beheadings and mass murders are common,” but congratulate ourselves for feeling the “pull of compassion.”

After all, Zane notes, “words matter.” So do actions. Fear doesn’t need a better PR strategy. It needs courage.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Eric Johnson: Quite the contortions."