Socratic Seminar: Syria

The situation here in Syria is still very tense at the moment, but the good news is the members of the meeting seem to be well informed of the facts. One of the issues mentioned was the concern for loved ones. This is obviously very important to everyone and should be a high priority. One issue that was not touched much upon was staying put and protecting yourself. That seemed to be an unlikely solution to the problem in Syria according to the group. The main option discussed was fleeing the country. Some others included joining the fight, protest, and staying in Syria for the duration of the conflict. Obviously fleeing puts you out of harm’s way of the conflict but you risk being caught by the government troops and possibly being killed. Joining in arms may be a noble cause but you put yourself directly in the line of fire. Protest is usually a good way of getting your point across but in Syria lately, that has not gone over smoothly, usually ending in troops shooting at the protesters. And lastly, staying put eliminates the risk of being caught while fleeing, but keeps you in danger of being in Syria while the fight is going on. The group seemed to decide that fleeing is the best solution for you and your loved ones as it allows you to escape the chaos inside the country. In my opinion, the meeting was very productive and detailed. The discussion seemed to be most productive while on the topic of fleeing the country. The least productive part was on the topic of staying put. I agree with the members of the meeting that the most viable solution is to flee Syria. I also think that protest is the least viable option as it is dangerous and very unlikely to affect the situation. Protest has almost never worked in Syria and usually ends in the protesters being hurt and or killed. Fleeing is the only option whose upside is freedom from the crisis. After this meeting we hope to see change for the better in Syria. For now we can only hope that this terror will come to an end.