In the past week, the conversations around Syrian refugees have become skewed against those who need help and instead become focused on our own paranoid fear of a proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Many people don’t seem to have any real concept of what kind of reality the Syrian people have been facing at the hands of ISIS and what horrors they are trying to escape. People look at the thousands of fleeing innocents as terrorists in disguise; they ignore the innocent children who are drowning trying to flee a land that wants them dead.

Here is a bit of reality for those who have forgotten. Here is what people in Syria have experienced, and what we are encouraging them to return to by refusing them access to our nation.

[Warning: the video below is graphic and includes human suffering]

Sydney Robinson is a political writer for the Ring of Fire Network. She has also appeared in political news videos for Ring of Fire. Sydney has a degree in English Literature from the University of West Florida, and has an active interest in politics, social justice, and environmental issues. She would love to hear from you on Twitter @SydneyMkay or via email at srobinson@ringoffireradio.com