To think we are in danger of losing our compassion

[LarrytheCucumber]

Some of the newspapers this morning have stories condemning the BBC for filming part of Songs of Praise from a migrants' church in Calais.
I can't see the problem with migrants talking about how their faith keeps them going. There is apparently a makeshift mosque and a makeshift Christian church.
Surely we should see them as human beings, rather than as a threat.

And thank God we stopped the hordes coming by boat here to Australia.

These camps are full of people traffickers, criminals, thugs, rapists, and maybe terrorists

How do you know that Moreshabbythanchic?

Because I read the papers and watch tv.

Nothing I've read suggested that. You're engaging in hateful, dehumanising rhetoric and again, amply proving the point of the OP.

Oh and perhaps you need to broaden your news source if the papers and channels you watch are filling you with such bile.

I watch and read a variety of news sources to enable me to get a balanced view unlike some who think the guardian is the holy grail.

Thousands of these people die trying. They give up their homes, families, lives to come here. Calais has a tiny percentage of asylum seekers, thousands more do stay in other counties but lots risk trying to get to England because they speak English which they feel might make it slightly easier to get some kind of a safe life for themselves. Can you imagine how fucking shit and awful your own life would have to be before you'd give up everything to risk your life travelling across the ocean in an over crowded open boat, hiding in the landing carriage of a plane, or hanging off the bottom of a lorry? Imagine how desperate you would need to be before you yourself would try that? Or do you just not give a shit that they are actual human beings there? You're just worried that they'll come here and claim benefits and steal our jobs. I think this thread proves that sadly many people have no idea of compassion. Bloody depressing.

English is the most widely spoken language across the world, so anyone who can speak it has a right to come here whether legally or not. Sorry to dispel your ideals but there are rules in place that says no to this.

There are thousands more migrants in Greece and more coming every day, do you want us to let all those in too and all the others who think that by getting in a boat gives them the right to be here because they speak a few words of English?

Reluctant - thank you for those comments - I too am ashamed at some of the views I am hearing expressed. I am pleased that 'Songs of Praise' is being filmed and I look forward to watching it.

Queue jumping cheats and chancers.

Bloody hell, do people not get how desperate they must be to go to these lengths to get here?! Your intolerance is disgusting.

Totally irrelevant but I used to attend the same Church as Sally Magnusson and have a great deal of time and respect for her - she is a lovely, warm person.

I wonder what these single makes have left behind.....were they the breadwinner? Traditionally I think they would have been

So they have 'fled' and left behind vulnerable people who may have been relying on them.... Aged parents/grandparents/wives/children..... So now they have decided to flee to better life, who is looking after those left behind?

millie what about those they have left behind?

i can only assume that the people who are so keen on the "migrants" being allowed, will offer them bed and board.
I have plenty of compassion, but it gets tired, especially when I try to access things like SS and get told there is no money to help a severely disabled adult.
yet I am expected to jump for joy at the idea of these services being stretched even further, I am just so glad I don't live in Kent.

Garmingirl- perhaps they don't have any family left? Perhaps they left to make a better life and send money back? Perhaps you're right though perhaps they up and left, perhaps things in their country were so fucking shit they decided to cut their losses and go, you know nothing about these people and how you can judge them for making that decision when you're reaping the benefits of purely being borin in a wealthy country I have no idea.

But those cuts to publis services are not down to those immigrants waiting at Calais, they're not, our country is wealthy, how that wealth is distributed is up to those in power and not those poor desperate people trying to make things better for themselves, you're angry at the wrong people.

I'm not saying I know the answer, but the disdain people here have for fellow human beings doing exactly the same thing they would probably do in their position just stinks to high heaven.

You got me wrong ,i am not angry at the migrants, although i must admit to not having a liking for people who put other peoples lives at risk.
But i do get angry about how much this will cost, because it wont be the rich paying.
We are not a rich country, we have no money, thats why there are cuts to services for the most vulnerable

Well I believe those cuts are ideological, and these people at Calais are perfect scapegoats.

Kind of a self proved point OP!

I think it would help if people put themselves (or at least tried) in a refugee's shoes. It's hard for us to understand because we are all wealthy in comparative terms and have been all our lives because we live in the UK.

If our government was suddenly gone, and our infrastructure crumbled to nothing - no police, just armed people establishing mini fiefdoms where you fit in or die - and you had enough saved under your mattress for just your children to go somewhere else where they might have a chance to live - what would you do?

If you had no home, no work, no extended family that could help but you could start walking, and keep walking, for a better chance at life - what would you do?

If you lived in a country where all 15 year old boys were conscripted indefinitely into the army and engaged in war, but you had enough money to get your sons out of the country even though they have no papers - what would you do?

If you could die tomorrow because of your religion, race or sexuality and had to live with that threat every single day of your life - what would you do?

We're all in danger of believing what the worst parts of our media are peddling. We allow less people into our country than just about any other European country. In France you have to work for 2 years before you can access any government support (I think this is the same if you are French by the way) but it doesn't stop people registering to live there.

Don't make the mistake of projecting British values of laziness and entitlement onto people who have nothing. Believe me they will work, and they will work hard to make life better for themselves and their family.

You could learn a lot from a refugee if you took the time to talk to one.

Sadly I think a lot of responses on this thread are exactly proving the OP's point about the lack of compassion shown to these human beings. My God, how desperate would you have to be to leave your home country , make the arduous and risky journey, travel thousands of miles on very little money, in the hope of getting a better life? I feel ashamed that we, as the sixth richest country in the world, can't open our hearts and our borders to these determined and ambitious people...( awaits flaming )

It also reminds me of the lack of compassion shown by many regarding the plight of the Jews fleeing persecution in the 1930s, how does history view those countries now? How will we be judged by future generations...?

www.christiantoday.com/article/songs.of.praise.in.calais.we.cannot.divorce.religion.from.politics/61649.htm

Beautiful article about why they chose to broadcast from Calais. Based on the tenet, ' What would Jesus do?'