×

Immigration Issues Are Not A Dealbreaker For Sweden

To The Reader’s Forum:

In response to a letter to the editor written by Rev. Mel McGinnis questioning whether a trip to a European country can be “magical” in the wake of recent immigration, I feel compelled to ask the writer whether anyone should visit any country that has accepted immigrants, lest the trip be spoiled by the presence of people who are not native to a place.

The Stockholm I visited was not overrun with crime and women running away from Muslim rapists. It is a very functional and forward city, in a country that has done more than any other to define Scandinavia: modern, liberal and collectivist.

My point in writing the column was to point out that while the idea of collectivism makes many Americans squirm (myself included), Sweden has been called the most successful society the world has ever known (its social and political model has the attention of the world) and dissecting their success doesn’t make one a socialist.

To look at something, Reverend, to study it and understand it and applaud its successful components does not turn you into the thing that you are looking at. If you had read my column at all for the past five years you would know that I am against most of the tenets of globalization and the proliferation of liberalism throughout American culture.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t look at Sweden and hold it up as the clean, functional and modern society that it is and appreciate it as a visitor.

Sweden, by the way, ranks fourth on the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Competitiveness Report, and tenth on the Human Development Index, and its industrial output dwarfs its neighbors. Surely there’s something happening in Sweden worthy of a glance?

It’s true that incidents of crime and sexual abuse in Sweden have risen, but it’s a bit more complicated than you make it out to be. Sweden has proudly taken in the most immigrants per capita over the last forty years–more than any other European country, and for the most part, integration has been a success there. In immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, lawbreaking is comparable to the much higher overall rate in the U.S.

Immigrant joblessness and alienation have sparked antisocial behavior–true of any country where the immigrant populations have risen. But the image of hordes of immigrants raping Swedish women just doesn’t pan out. Most of the women who have become victims of sexual assault in Stockholm are themselves immigrants or the children of immigrants.

Believing that what we read in the paper should define a whole country is an ignorant way to approach the world. Thinking for ourselves is not something all media in our country encourages and so the task falls upon us to form our own world view.

But that’s what traveling does: It breaks down barriers and opens our eyes. Sweden is a beautiful place and no less safe than walking down a street in New York City or San Antonio. I encourage others to visit there and am certain they will find it is a wonderful journey.

Margot Russell

Lakewood

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today