In light of (or, in the dark of) President Trumpâs recent executive order suspending the immigration of Muslims from several countries and restricting immigration from Syria indefinitely, it is time for a serious reevaluation of what is âAmerican,â because turning our backs on countries attempting to give us their tired and their poor is apparently âAmericanâ now. We are the very thing we swore we would never become, the very thing we swore to hate. We are no longer loved by the rest of the world as a safe-haven for all races and religions. We now are seen as a fairy tale, a land gilded by the promising guise of opportunity and freedom to cover up the hypocrisy and hatred lying beneath. So the question Iâm really hoping to find an answer to is why. Is this what half of the country wanted when Trump was elected, to slap people in need of desperate help across the face, while claiming it is to protect the American people from a potential terrorist disaster?
      The fact is, radical Islamic terrorists would not be flocking here as fake refugees from warzones. In fact, terrorists might support Donald Trumpâs presidency, as his actions will do nothing but spur unrest which may lead to more people joining ISIS. Donald Trump, by embarrassing and labeling Islam as un-American and evil has given terrorists the tools to strengthen their propaganda. Strong propaganda is the goal of any terrorist groupâas they want as many people to see their message as possible. On another note, the orderâs preference to admit Christians over Muslims makes little sense to me, as Islam and Christianity share many similarities in teachingsâboth teach peace, love, acceptance, and faithfulness. Yes, there is a small group of Muslims (ISIS) who deny these teachings in favor of violence, but there is also a small group of Christians (KKK) who do the same thing.
      But, with that aside, it is clear that the support for this order comes directly from fear. The American people are afraidâafraid for their way of life, for their freedom, and for their safety. And whether or not people in America who arenât in a minority are actually disenfranchised or unsafe (because I would argue that they are safe and not disenfranchised), it is still a serious issue that must be addressed by the government. But banning immigrants from the US based on religion is not the slightest way to go about fixing this. The best way to put into perspective as to why is to imagine. To those who do feel in danger and support Trumpâs order as a way to feel safe: imagine that you are in physical danger every day of your life. Imagine that every day, jets split the skies above you and and bombs mash the earth around you. Imagine screaming in terror as your loved ones cry, tears for those lost to the violence thatâs taken them. Imagine never asking for this, imagine not understanding why this has to happen, because youâve never hurt anybody in your life. You fear ISIS, you fear humanity, you fear going to sleep every night and waking up every morning. But there is hope! You were promised a place with opportunity and freedom, where you will be safe for the rest of your life. A place without this destruction and horror, a place where the âhuddled masses yearning to breathe freeâ are accepted as friends and not as burdens. Now, imagine that the people in that place tell you no. They tell you that you hate them, they tell you that YOU are the enemy, that YOU will cause harm to THEM simply by BEING WHAT YOU AREâand that is broken. Broken by all the war and hatred you never deserved, never even asked to be born into, because if it was up to you, you would not have been. How would you feel? Tell me honestlyâhow would you feel?
