With over 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States today, it's clear that our country cannot continue to ignore the issue and that meaningful immigration reform must be part of the 2016 election conversations.

                That should include everything from paths to citizenship for the worthy to a trip back home for criminals.  Border security needs to be addressed as part of any solution while lawmakers figure out how to handle the issue; after all, we need to stop the bleeding before we can begin to heal and help the masses who are already here.

                Some estimates report that more than 500,000 undocumented immigrants enter and settle in the United States each year. 

                But that pales in comparison to the 750,000 refugees currently fleeing from Syria and pouring into European Nation countries.  Some of those countries have welcomed the refugees; others have declared a state of emergency and sealed their borders.

                The refugees are fleeing the brutal dictatorship of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and the civil war he helped to orchestrate buy turning Sunni Islamists against Shia Islamists.  The Sunnis, backed by Sunni states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, were effective anti-Assad fighters.

                Iran's Shia government backed Assad with cash, weapons and soldiers.  Some labeled the conflict as a Middle East Sectarian proxy war of Shia versus Sunni.

                As refugees pour out of Syria, the countries allowing them in will need to worry about ISIS terrorists infiltrating the groups and entering the host nations.

                Last week Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the United States would accept 5,000 of the refugees.  Less than 24 hours later he increased the number of refugees that could enter the United States to 10,000.

                While many countries are working towards a humanitarian solution for the vast numbers, Russian President Vladimir Putin has his country flying sophisticated military equipment and personnel to Syria in order to bolster strongman al-Assad in what some refer to as his genocidal civil war.  This despite repeated warnings from high-level United States officials.  The incidents remind us of President Obama's "line in the sand" statement over chemical weapons use in Syria and al-Assad's thumbing his nose to the threat when he crossed that line.  As recent as May, rescue workers in Syria have reported chemical attacks by government forces.

                On the Russia to Syria flights, Washington was able to persuade Bulgaria to close its airspace so Moscow simply switched to an air corridor over, ta-da, Iran and Iraq.  And they vowed to keep sending the war goodies.

                Kerry has warned Russia that any intervention in Syria would "further escalate the conflict."  It will also guarantee an even greater flood of refugees.

                Just last June President Obama announced that "Once again the United States is the most respected county on Earth."  But, while the US is "drawing lines," Russia and Syria are busy crossing them.  Meanwhile, what of those refugees?

                Civilians always suffer most in war.  The Syrian government has targeted them ruthlessly.  If their own government isn't enough to make them flee, add to that the ISIS factor.  When the brutal terrorists take over towns, residents are put under brutal and violent rule, or worse.  More than 250,000 people have been killed so far. 

                Half of Syria's population has been displaced.  Today, those people are looking for more than a line in the sand.