America's Morality: Where Are We Now?
When Derrick Watson, a Hawaii Federal District Court judge, extended his block on President Trump’s travel ban to shelter the entire United States from the executive order, some of us breathed a sigh of relief. Watson extended his block on Wednesday, March 29th, and it seems to have stalled the Trump administration, at least for now.
However, the stir of conversation surrounding the travel ban and the legitimacy of it has left us pondering a deeper, perhaps more important question: what has happened to our morality? Whether or not the proposed ban is Constitutional is beside the point, as the question we really should be asking is whether or not this ban reflects America’s values and virtues.
Some would argue that since the Presidential election in November, America’s morality has taken a downhill plunge. However, this is not the case. We as Americans have not suffered a decrease in our morality; rather, we have lost sight of it in the whirlwind of our ever-changing political atmosphere. With each day bringing in a new story more outrageous than the previous day’s, we have merely forgotten to prioritize our morality.
We must look past misleading headlines, such as the alleged claim that “Al Qaeda Terrorists That Killed Soldiers Have Entered the U.S. Disguised as Refugees,” which was a story on the American News site in January, 2016, and had little evidence supporting the claim. While it can be difficult to sift through alarming (and false) reports, when we focus primarily on the facts, we will find that the proposed extreme measures are not necessary.
According to New America, a Washington, D.C. think tank that researches and collects data on prevalent security issues in an attempt to increase transparency, every Jihadist extremist who has conducted a lethal attack, an attack where one or more person was killed, inside the United States since 9/11, “was a citizen or legal resident.” While this is not to say that non-residents or those of unknown status will not commit acts of terrorism, it is far less likely. New America establishes that less than 4% of those charged with acts of terrorism since 9/11 have been identified as refugees or asylum seekers. While it can certainly be scary to admit families from places of terrible violence into our country, we must realize that they are not committing acts of terrorism; rather, they are men, women, and children who are fleeing from them.
Furthermore, the seven countries listed on President Trump’s initial proposed travel ban were not home to any of the deadly Jihadist attackers who have committed acts of terrorism since 9/11. None of the 19 terrorists involved in the 9/11 attacks were from those countries either.
Given these startling facts, we must ask ourselves why this ban is, or ever was, necessary. As the political landscape changes and this ban seems to float closer to the horizon, we must not forget the offense and humiliation it has brought to many of our fellow Americans, who identify as Muslim, and/or who have come here from one of those seven countries.
For over 240 years, America has been a “melting pot,” and for generations, we
have welcomed those who seek to improve our common good with open arms, no matter which faith they align with or which country they travel from. 2017 hardly seems like an appropriate time to bring this tradition to a halt.
Immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers do not threaten our country: they strengthen it. As they are given jobs and earn wages, they boost our local economies when they purchase goods for their families. They bring their skills and their trades from abroad, and they enrich our diverse culture. The pros outweigh the cons, and we must not let our fears cloud our view.
We must actively place morality on a higher pedestal than fear. We must continue our efforts at making all feel welcome, and we must resist actions that do not hold those same values. More importantly, we must take a step back, and remember that we all come from families of immigrants, even if our neighbors’ roots here in America go back farther than ours. We must celebrate our differences as we are inspired by new cultures, but at the same time, we must celebrate what unites us all: we are proud to be Americans.
Sources:
American News. "2 Al Qaeda Terrorists That Killed Soldiers Have Entered The U.S Disguised As Refugees."
American News - Breaking News, Political News and Updates. American News, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.
The Associated Press. "Hawaii Judge Extends Order Blocking Trump’s Travel Ban." The New York Times.
The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 Apr. 2017
Bergen, Peter. "Who Are the Terrorists?" New America. New America, 2017. Web. 09 Apr. 2017.
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Julia Tilton '20 is a writer for Lamplighter focusing on current issues, if you would like to reach out to her you may find her contact information on the 'Meet the Staff' page.