Ask the Author: Trisha Leimer
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Trisha Leimer
In October 2015 my youngest daughter's high school gym in Germany was turned into an emergency reception center for the hundreds of thousands of survivors pouring in to Germany from the Middle East. I immediately began volunteering in the center - not knowing quite what to expect. What I discovered changed my life. I met dozens of individuals and families who had seen incredible loss, suffered indescribable violence and had made a harrowing trek across thousands of miles in order to find peace and safety. These people landed in this gymnasium battered and exhausted, but full of gratitude and an eagerness to reach out and to begin again. Their resilience and courage astounded me.
As I travelled back to the US and shared my experiences with others I was shocked at the fear surrounding the word 'refugee'. The predominant public sentiment placed all refugees in the same category as terrorists, and viewed them as a danger to the countries who let them in. I knew firsthand that this was not true! I knew these people were the victims of terrorism and violence, not the perpetrators.
By sharing their stories in Let Me Tell You My Story our hope is to create a counterbalance to those misunderstandings. The stories of these people speak for themselves. These survivors are educated, experienced, eager to contribute to a safe and peaceful society, and more than anything else know to value and protect an infrastructure that allows freedom of thought and religion for everyone.
As I travelled back to the US and shared my experiences with others I was shocked at the fear surrounding the word 'refugee'. The predominant public sentiment placed all refugees in the same category as terrorists, and viewed them as a danger to the countries who let them in. I knew firsthand that this was not true! I knew these people were the victims of terrorism and violence, not the perpetrators.
By sharing their stories in Let Me Tell You My Story our hope is to create a counterbalance to those misunderstandings. The stories of these people speak for themselves. These survivors are educated, experienced, eager to contribute to a safe and peaceful society, and more than anything else know to value and protect an infrastructure that allows freedom of thought and religion for everyone.
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