In the wake of San Bernardino shootings that killed 14 people and injured 21, the presidential debate in the US took a rather nasty turn when one of GOP’s front runners, Donald J. Trump called for a ban on Muslims from entering the USA, including tourists and American Muslims overseas, in a statement released to the media on Monday (12/7/15) through his presidential campaign team.
“Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life,” Trump said.
According to a senior Republican strategist who works for a company that advises campaigns, Trump has a group of "hard-core followers" equal to about 20-25% of the Republican vote. "In a race of 15 candidates, 20 to 25 percent makes you king," he observed. "But it doesn't win you the election." (Source: Bloomberg Politics)
However, his remarks of Monday on banning Muslims have received much well-deserved backlash from not only the American Muslim community but the American community as a whole, including Democrats and Republicans alike.
The statements I personally found awesome were:
“This is not conservatism. What was proposed yesterday is not what this party (GOP) stands for, and more importantly, it’s not what this country stands for.” – Paul Ryan, House Speaker
“The fact is what Donald Trump said yesterday disqualifies him from serving as president… The question now is about the rest of the Republican Party and whether or not they're going to be dragged into the dustbin of history with him." – JoshEarnest, WH press secretary
“I am hereby barring Donald Trump from entering St. Petersburg until we fully understand the dangerous threat posed by all Trumps.” – Rick Kriseman, Mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida
Even non-political persons couldn’t hold back from commenting on how absurd and rude Trump’s words were.
“How horrible. Voldemort was nowhere near as bad.” – J. K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter series
“The hysteria and xenophobia has gotten completely out of control, and it runs totally contrary to our country's commitment to religious freedom and especially to the teachings of Jesus. If a pastor, family member, friend, or acquaintance expresses support for violent rhetoric against minorities, speak up. Call it out. It's not okay.” – Rache lHeld Evans, New York Times best-selling author
"This man is encouraging the same kind of hatred as Daesh." – Ayoub Mustafa, a 42-year-old Major with the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces battling ISIS
Not to mention the countless uplifting messages from various segments of the country, candid videos from friends that make your heart sing because you know that your countrymen got your back even if they don’t share your faith.
