ASHLEY HIGGINBOTHAM | Reporter
President Donald Trump’s new travel ban goes into effect Oct. 18, and it makes no sense at all.
The revised ban includes North Korea, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Chad. I can understand including North Korea, since tensions are building between us. However, the rest of the countries make no sense.
According to CNN, Trump said, “My highest obligation is to ensure the safety and security of the American people, and in issuing this new travel order, I am fulfilling that sacred obligation.”
Trump believes we have an international terrorist problem. I am saying he is wrong. We have a homegrown terrorist problem. I will not be naming the shooters, because they do not deserve recognition.
The shooters responsible for Las Vegas, Sandy Hook, the Orlando nightclub, Columbine, Aurora, Fort Hood and Luby’s were all from the United States. Some of the worst mass shootings in America’s history were caused by Americans themselves.
However, not all of them were from the United States. The Virginia Tech shooter was from South Korea. Is South Korea on the travel ban?
One of the San Bernardino shooters was from Pakistan. Is Pakistan on the travel ban?
I’m not saying that these countries should be on the travel ban; I just think Trump needs to take a closer look at our own turf before banning Muslim-majority countries from entering.
The country of Chad is on the travel ban, and none of our mass shooters or terrorists have been citizens of Chad. While our ties with Venezuela are not good, and Venezuela’s president has been called a “dictator” by many, the travel ban bars country officials and their immediate family from entering. Once again, this country has not planned or executed any attack on U.S. soil.
I understand Trump wanting to be proactive, but we have never had a war in the states. Issuing a travel ban only aggravates country leaders and pushes them into believing that all Americans dislike them.
We have gone this long without a war on our turf. We do not need a travel ban to “ensure” that.
