Indiana Governor Mike Pence has turned away two Syrian refugee families at the state line saying that his “heart goes out” to the families, but that he cannot ensure they are not a threat to the people of Indiana (Most likely, the citizens are much more of a threat to the refugees than the refugees to the citizens, but that is neither here nor there).

In a stunning display of cognitive dissonance, Gov. Pence claims to care about the welfare of the families he has shirked, but not quite enough to let them into his state.

Pence, like many other elected officials, believes that our refugee vetting system needs revision before we can trust it to filter out terrorists, but the two families Pence has denied entrance have been participating in the vetting system for three years. Three years of thorough checks, and after all of that struggle, their suffering is not over.

Watch Pence try to justify his decision.

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