In the last few months, most of us have asked: “When can we say that Donald Trump has taken it too far?” I believe that we have now reached that point.
Right after the tragic mass shooting in Oregon, Trump proclaimed that “gun laws had nothing to do with this [event]” and that these things “just happen.” Sorry Donald, but mass shootings do not “just happen.” We cannot accept these events as the norm and belittle their magnitude, no matter how frequently they occur.
But this is not the only absurd claim Trump has made. Trump has recently put his Islamophobia on full display when he said that, “If he [is elected President], all the Syrian refugees are going back!” That, “they could all be ISIS.” These remarks are disgusting. Trump’s cynicism, and Islamophobia, is unbelievably strong, to the point where he is willing to sacrifice the safety, and even lives, of 200 thousand Syrian refugees, rather than making security screenings at American borders more rigorous. More rigorous screenings would permit innocent refugees to gain the refuge they desperately seek.
What bothers me more than Trump’s atrocious remarks are the impact these words are having on the electorate, even right here in Colorado Springs. Just yesterday, I took a cab from the Colorado College campus to Citadel Mall. On my way to the mall, my talk with the cab driver led to the topic of our dearest Donald. In particular, his stance on Syrian refugees in the U.S.
“Trump just claimed that he will send back all the Syrian refugees, saying they could all be ISIS.” I said.
“What a fantastic idea!” replied the driver.
“Do you have any idea what’s happening in Syria right now, what the citizens are going through?” I asked.
“Ummm, not really…”
“Ummm” is the extent of a lot of peoples’ knowledge on the Syrian crisis. When people like Trump are allowed to make outrageous statements like the one he made, we are allowing the propagation of false stereotypes in the heads of the uninformed masses. The electorate should be made aware of the certain issues before they vote on who will represent their views on these issues. And, after understanding these issues, if they still agree with Trump’s views, then they are entitled to their opinion – that is the beauty of a democratic society. But, without this education, they are endorsing decisions, which they may not even support upon contemplating them.
I would like to urge everyone to be educated about the issues they elect their representatives to make policies on. Democracies are not perfect, but that does not mean that they cannot be improved. Awareness is the first step to making informed decisions.