Many conservatives supported the, nearly passed, Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) in the last Congress. Hopefully the holdouts will realize the Afghan Adjustment Act, just reintroduced, is wholly in keeping with conservative principles.
During the 20 year War in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans supported America in sensitive military and political capacities.
These Afghans risked their lives and that of their families, in a land where family is generally more valued than elsewhere; a land where multiple generations of Afghan families live together and their seniors are not discarded but rather revered, a valuable lesson for us in the United States.
The arguments over vetting are understandable but don't hold up.
First, a rushed and often careless evacuation during the time before HKIA Airport closed was another time.
If anything, it's the opposite now with the most stringent vetting procedures for any Afghan currently wishing to enter the United States are already in place (much greater compared to other nationalities).
The Afghan Adjustment Act strengthens these vetting requirements even more so.
Second, most of the Afghans who worked for the United States are solid people who understand that things are different in the United States.
These Afghans worked with soldiers of the United States and NATO were Christian, Jewish, Muslim, other faiths, as well as those of no faith.
Their collective goal is not to convert everyone to Islam but to live a safe place where they can experience the peace and prosperity that they saw in the lives of American Soldiers.
These are the Afghans who suffered under the Taliban 20 years ago.
They are now suffering again.
Afghan women are especially persecuted.
It is also worth noting that al-Qaida, who also terrorized the Afghan people, saw most of its fighters coming from Saudi Arabia and other Mideastern nations as opposed to the Afghans in Central Asia.
The serious issues regarding American immigration policy, or lack thereof, does not equate to helping American friendly Afghans.
Afghans who helped the United States are not illegally crossing the border en masse but rather waiting in Afghanistan and other nations for a pathway.
The AAA codifies a legal path for these American allies.
Conservatives are known for often wrapping themselves in the flag, and concurrently the idea of supporting our military.
Many Veteran organizations, the leadership of which is increasingly made up of Afghan and Iraq Veterans, supported the previous version of Afghan Adjustment Act.
American Veterans are those in the best position to make the best judgement calls on whether Afghans are trustworthy enough to come to the United States.
We lived with and, in many cases, bled with them.
Any failure to support American Veterans by passing the AAA is yet another slap in the face of those who have placed their lives on the line for our nation and feeds into the stereotype that the dreams of our nation’s Veterans, and the obligation we have to them, are forgotten once they return.
The memories of war are deep and profound.
Keeping the wound of Afghanistan open by allowing those who served with us to suffer and not come to America is unconscionable.
We were denied victory in Afghanistan, so at least allow us to have those we love over there come here.
Even if we look at the issue selfishly and ignore our Veterans, refusing to let the Afghans who helped us in war enter the United States has profound diplomatic consequences.
Simply put, how can we ever expect an indigenous people to support us again when they believe that America abandons them?
As a Christian, it is this writer's prayer that everyone knows the love of Christ as their Lord and Savior. Yet even if many friends are not Christian, in this case most Afghans, it does not halt the mandate to perform our Christlike duty and lay down our lives for our friends.
These Afghans have more than earned their chance at America by laying down their lives for this writer's comrades.
It's time for conservatives to allow these hardworking, family orientated people a chance to come to the New World by voting for the Afghan Adjustment Act.
Larry Provost has written for Townhall, Fox News, The Baltic Times and InFocus (Jewish Policy Center) and has appeared on several television outlets, including “FOX News @Night with Shannon Bream." He holds degrees from several colleges, and is a Veteran of the World Trade Center search and rescue, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He and his wife are adoptive parents. Read more Larry Provost reports - Here.