Harry's Gang: On refugees, let's talk it out

There’s been a lot of news lately about county boards voting on the “refugee issue.” Places like Cook County in extreme northeast Minnesota have voted to accept refugees, even though the odds of a refugee settling there are about nil. And Beltrami County, which has little need to vote on the issue either, was inundated with fear and innuendo and ridicule when it voted to not accept refugees.

It’s a trick, a gimmick, designed, I think, to pit neighbor against neighbor over an emotional issue, but an issue with no real practical relevance. Seeking out more ways to divide us along political lines is destructive to our country, and it distracts us from the real issues that affect us daily. I’m shocked so many people are putting so much effort and argument into an issue that has no real effect except to keep us busy fighting with each other. No one at the top really cares what each county or city feels about refugees; they just want to keep us fighting. Besides, a federal court halted the voting by local governments to determine if such votes are even constitutional.

The Carlton County board isn’t dealing with the issue until there is a clear court decision.

I suggest we go back to discussing the issues that really matter to us, in a calm and rational manner. Grandpa Newby (the “Harry” in “Harry’s Gang”) told me on his deathbed: “If you run out of topics on ‘Harry’s Gang,’ just bring up abortion or gun control. That will fill the rest of the program.” I think he could add immigration or refugees to that list.

So, you didn’t hear me argue about whether to allow refugees in Carlton County. But I listened as others did. And the arguments for and against are striking.

The first argument that fascinates me is “If you want refugees, then take them into your own home.” Well, a lot of people do. Many church groups and civic organizations welcome refugees and always have. My cousin Bob Forte is a Cuban refugee; I didn’t even realize he wasn’t a blood relative until I was in my 20s.

The second is: “We need to take care of our own people, before we take care of others.”

I understand the argument, but we offer good support to people in need in this country. Sometimes it’s effective; sometimes it’s not. But we have enough to help both Americans and refugees without breaking the budget.

And the big one: “Refugees aren’t welcome unless they assimilate into our culture. Speak our language. Attend our churches. Adopt our values.

That last one scares me the most. One of the best restaurants in town is a little Mexican restaurant in the old Solem Hotel called Pedro’s. It was put on the map by a guy named Pedro, who, it turned out, was here illegally. Not only did he build a great restaurant and should be applauded for revitalizing downtown Cloquet, he and his family were a terrific asset to Cloquet, getting involved in everything.

There’s also a very popular Chinese restaurant on the hill in Sunnyside and an Asian buffet downtown Cloquet. There’s pizza everywhere. And, speaking of Esko: there’s a community full of Finnish pride and sisu. A surprising number of households still contain members with thick Finnish accents. Yet, they are all Americans, welcome here.

One of the most respected citizens of Cloquet and well-known Republican is my friend, Barry Bergquist. Know how he earned his fortune? By importing and selling Scandinavian items to Americans who crave a connection to the old country. Why, the traitor even flies a Swedish flag in front of his business. Yet, you’d be hard pressed to find a more patriotic American than Barry Bergquist.

Meanwhile, the distraction continues.

I brought my concern to the Retired Men’s Club, which meets at the VFW for lunch twice a month. We formed a mock county board, and I made a motion to accept refugees. Someone seconded the motion. Discussion followed.

About 35 people attended the lunch. At first, there was quite a bit of opposition. But as we discussed each concern, most opponents agreed that — with some reasonable criteria — maybe we could accept refugees. It seems, if we can all start talking again, we really can make America great again.

Pete Radosevich is the publisher of the Pine Knot News community newspaper and an attorney in Esko who hosts the cable access talk show Harry’s Gang on CAT-7. His opinions are his own. Contact him at Pete.Radosevich@Pine KnotNews.com.