In light of yesterday’s events, I felt compelled to email the White House. I’ve met some refugees from both Syria and Iraq, and I’ve heard how difficult it was for them to enter our country. It is a lie that they were not adequately vetted. I know people, who minister to Yazidi refugees, and who have heard — and seen the physical evidence of — the atrocities they have suffered. I spent yesterday reading accounts of people with visas and green cards being turned away from our country and, in some cases — even at least one case where the U.S. had been a person’s legal home for years.

This is the email that I sent to our Vice President:

Dear Mr. Pence,

I believe you are a man of prayer. That is why I beg you to pray earnestly over the plight of refugees, especially the Yazidi who are facing genocide. I pray that God would grant you compassion, wisdom, and boldness to speak truth to President Trump in this matter and the many other matters that will arise in the days, months, and years to come. I pray that your pro-life stance would make you willing to lay down your life — even your political career and vice presidency if need be — on behalf of the least of these, the oppressed, the downtrodden, the sojourner, the widows, the orphans, and all those God has called us to serve.

Call me naive, but I don’t understand why fighting ISIS means one should force their victims to return to where they were terrorized so that they can be further victimized.

As a rape survivor, I can’t help thinking that it’s somewhat like claiming to be anti-rape and tough on rapists while slamming the door in the face of rape victims seeking help: “I know you were promised a safe place to heal, but that was my predecessor who made that promise. And I’m tough on rape! How do I know you’re not a rapist? Go back to where you were raped.”

We’re actually doing that, as a country, to women fleeing ISIS.

May God have mercy. May we have mercy.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration to this urgent matter.

Rebecca Prewett