The Wyckoff Patch may not be a very widely read newspaper. In fact, one would be surprised to learn that anyone outside the small New Jersey town of Wyckoff would read its articles on daily events, obituaries, crime updates, business news, etc. However, the paper's influence is somewhat larger than it seems. Though, as most journalistic mediums do, The Patch attempts to represent itself as unbiased and objective, stories in the past have proven to be demagogic and sometimes false. However, by any reasonable measure, the divisive publication has gone entirely too far this week, as it published the names and addresses of all Syrian refugees within the region of New Jersey in which Wyckoff is located.
The article includes a map with pinpoints of the Syrians' houses and neighborhoods and presents itself as a detailed account of their journey to New Jersey. However, the article was written under the caveat that New Jersey governor Chris Christie had vowed not to let any Syrian refugees settle in his state. The article states, "Gov. Chris Christie and others have called for an end to the Syrian refugee immigration, saying it could open the gate for terrorists to enter the United States. On Tuesday, Gov. Chris Christie announced that he sent a letter to President Obama, notifying him that New Jersey will not accept any refugees from Syria in the wake of the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris last week."
The article references many refugees, including a 26 year-old Syrian refugee named Sandy who has found refuge in the Oakland, New Jersey.
No matter how one feels regarding the Syrian refugee crisis, the invasion of privacy and potential promotion of violence or discrimination is entirely unacceptable and must be publically rejected.
The article goes on to list each state and the number of Syrian refugees that have chosen to settle in these respective American communities.
However, by far the most dangerous aspect of the publication is the map embedded at the articles conclusion.
