Social Issues

As a direct result of Europe's refugee crisis, new and very unpleasant social fractures have started to emerge.

One particularly troubling issue is the extent to which officials have tended to “blame the victim" in the ever more frequent sex attacks resulting from Europe's refugee surge, something we first touched upon earlier this week. For instance, Cologne mayor Henriette Reker drew sharp criticism for suggesting that it was German womens' duty to prevent assaults by keeping would-be assailants “at arm’s length.”

As Trymaine Lee notes, "literally the longest line I've ever seen..."

Trump rally. Literally the longest line I've ever seen. pic.twitter.com/eQlRFk2x24

— Trymaine Lee (@trymainelee) March 11, 2016

And it's not just angry white men.

The Conservative Political Action Conference once again took up the subject of same-sex marriage last week, with one big change to the political landscape: this time the discussion took place under the shadow of Obergefell v. Hodges. “Dearly Beloved: A Conversation on Religious Liberty and Marriage in America” presented differing perspectives on the issue of religious freedom and gay rights, and during the discussion, one panelist revealed the particular quandary he faced in light of the freedoms lost and freedoms gained with the decision.

I’ve been blogging a lot here about the white working class and its travails, with reference to Donald Trump’s candidacy. I’ve generally taken the line that however wrong they might be to vote for Trump, and to think that he will do anything for them, their alienation and their instincts ought to be at least understandable, given how things have gone for them, in general, in this country over the last generation.

Everyone assumed it would be the threat (or the reality) of international terrorism that would ultimately break Europe’s resolve when it came to goodwill towards Mid-East refugees.

Indeed, we remember vividly when the first reports of a “Kalashnikov assault” on cafes in the French capital hit social media on that fateful Friday in November.

“That’s it,” we assumed, for Europe’s experiment with an open-door migrant policy.