His characters in Westeros know a great deal about war and upheaval, and now Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin wants to support those who are also suffering in his own world.
In a recent post published on his personal blog, Martin had a simple message for America on the subject of Syrian refugees: "Let them in."
In the wake of the Paris attacks, the governors of a number of U.S. states, including Arkansas, Arizona, Florida and Georgia, have announced they will attempt to close their doors to Syrian refugees in the name of security concerns. However, governors in California and Pennsylvania, among other states, have voiced their support for continuing to accept such refugees.
According to Martin, shutting the gates is not the answer. "Donald Trump and thirty-one governors have it wrong, wrong, wrong," he writes. "The Syrian refugees are as much victims of ISIS as the dead in France."
In the post, Martin quotes the beloved Emma Lazarus poem, "The New Colossus," which appears at the base of the Statue of Liberty. The poem's most famous line, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," has been a message of welcome to immigrants for generations. For Martin, it exemplifies "the best of what this nation of immigrants is all about."
Martin writes that the governors who are calling for their states to reject Syrian refugees have failed to understand the import of Lazarus' words, and the true nature of America.
"Let them in," he concludes. "Santa Fe, at least, will welcome them."