This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

A story in the Washington Post this weekend caught my attention as it recounted the challenges of Afghan refugee resettlement even as the United States is preparing to exit Afghanistan as of Augusts 31.

Here are the first three paragraphs of the story:

“For those who managed to flee Afghanistan, leaving their home country under Taliban rule is just the beginning of their challenges — they are landing in foreign countries around the world to rebuild new lives and contend with anti-migrant attitudes.

“Most people seeking to flee Afghanistan have little hope of finding a quick way out of the country, let alone finding welcome abroad, as some destination countries issue warnings against asylum seekers and harden their borders.

“But some among the relatively small handful with the right paperwork who weathered the chaos of the Kabul airport in recent days and managed to board flights out have been received warmly upon arrival around the world.”

The story went on to report that, despite all of the chaos in Afghanistan and the enormous difficulty of leaving the country – both for Americans and Afghan allies — some good things are happening.

Consider these additional paragraphs from the Post story:

“Children were given white and pink teddy bears and met with welcome banners at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, where hundreds of Afghans arrived — not as refugees, but dubbed by authorities as “persons of special merit,” in a bid to deter anti-migrant abuse. Approximately 390 people have been granted short-stay visas that are valid for up to 90 days, with local media reporting that they are likely to be converted into long-term visas.

“The youngsters were photographed clutching their new toys as they boarded buses and walked alongside their loved ones.

“In some photos, the young arrivals peeped out of windows, offering sheepish waves and half-smiles.

“’We love all of you,”’ read one banner from a church group that was displayed outside the National Human Resources Development Institute, where those who fled Afghanistan are reported to be temporarily housed. ‘We will share your pain. Have a comfortable stay,’ read another.

“Among those landing in the country are medical professionals and interpreters who have worked for the South Korean government,and an estimated 100 children — including three newborns.”

These are stories of real people as refugees, not some term such as “immigrants,” often used in a derogatory way.

Just imagine the look on the faces of the children arriving in a new temporary home, or at least a location where they would not suffer inhuman treatment.

Or consider another story from the Washington Post as residents of Sparta, Wisconsin grapple with hundreds of Afghan refugees.

“Fort McCoy’s Facebook page lit up in the hours after officials there announced that thousands of Afghan refugees would be coming to the Army base. In an instant, the website turned into an impromptu public forum as news spread that the largest airlift in U.S. history would affect a pair of blue-collar communities in western Wisconsin.

“Some people wanted to know how they could donate blankets, warm clothes or canned goods to desperate strangers. Others worried that their community would face problems rooted in a chaotic withdrawal that, until a few days ago, was 7,000 miles away.

“It’s still unclear whether the impact of the Afghan refugees on this part of Wisconsin will extend past the tall metal gates of the century-old installation.  Yet residents are nursing concerns big and small:  Will Afghan children share schoolrooms with local children in a district already short-staffed and contending with the coronavirus? Has the government properly vetted people fleeing a place known to harbor terrorists?”

Now, as I write this from Salem, Oregon, where I live, the Afghan refugee reality continues to hit home for us.

Through “Salem for Refugees,” a program associated with our church in Salem, Salem Alliance, citizens here are preparing to welcome a few Afghan refugees to our community.

One is a family of 10 – a father, a mother and eight children.  Donations have been and are being made to help the family get resettled in Salem, a tall order.

Further, Salem for Refugees is in the process of expanding its future as a go-to agency for refugee resettlement.

The organization has been approached by World Relief to become involved in a new program through the federal Office of Population, Refugees and Migration.  Under this new program, Salem would get about 20 new Afghan refugees.

Funding for some of the services, including housing, food and health care, will be covered as refugees come to Salem.  But Salem for Refugees will continue to rely on donations from individuals throughout the community to see the need of ALL refugees – Afghans and others — and volunteer to help.

All of this underlines a point I have made several times, including as the situation in Afghanistan has become an international emergency.  All of us need to see refugees as real people – real people who deserve our help and support as they long for a new, better life.