In 1956 200,000 Hungarian - mostly political - refugees sought new home in the West.
The United States could have and should have offered refuge to more, but stopped at about 30,000 due to some antiquated Quota laws, which President Eisenhower could have easily overturned with an executive order.
Most Hungarian refugees were fleeing political persecution. Most had dreams to come to the Promised Land. America was the FIRST CHOICE and after all the blather on Voice of America (in Hungarian) the refugees thought that they will make it to America. Admittedly, there were some who were imprisoned criminals, who were freed when the Revolution opened prison doors. But even those criminals never had any intention to kill Americans in the name of a so called religion.
The United admitted fewer Hungarian refugees than Canada, the SECOND CHOICE.
I was among those whom America rejected, but Canada welcomed, at the ripe old age if 18, all by myself. In subsequent years I learned to love Canada, and having no regret of missing out on America. And why should I have? Our culture, standard of living, jobs, education, entertainment, our democracy and freedoms are pretty much the same.
In the last 58 years I traveled through every state of the Lower 48. I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and other charitable organizations, in Florida and Kentucky and Georgia and Missouri, two weeks each year from 1993 to 2004 when arthritis told me to stop. From 1997 to 2003 (when I retired) I was commuting from my Ontario home to our company's Head Office in Akron, Ohio on the weekly bases to work on a L1-B visa helping thru a major computer system change and, of course, the Y2K changes. I was there when the terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers and my heart was broken when I saw my American colleagues stunned by the enormity of the event. For many years after 9/11 I displayed the Stars and Stripes on my car and home.
I probably know more about America than most Americans. And based on recent news event, I probably love America more than some Americans.
Why did I say all this?
Because I hope America will be as strict admitting Syrian refugees as she was admitting Hungarian refugees. Let them go and find THEIR second choice as I did. They can and should go to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Emirates, Iran or Pakistan. I hope that President Obama will NOT issue executive order compelling States who do not wish to accommodate potential terrorists to admit them. I wish that President Obama will be as resolute with current day refugees as President Eisenhower was in my time.