Memorandum on US Policy Concerning the
Muslim Ban
To:
Donald Trump, President of the United States
From:
Drew Nelson, Foreign Policy Expert
Date: 2 March 2018
Subject:
Give Up the Muslim Ban
Introduction
On
January 27, 2017, Trump signed the executive order that would ban anyone entering
the United States from eight specific countries that all have a majority of
people who identify with the Islamic faith. This order goes against the ideals
of the United States and has been shut down by the judicial branch numerous
times. The solution I propose would be to increase airport security indiscriminately and create better relations with these countries.
Context
Trump's foreign policy has thus far been dubbed “America First” and I assume that he would make the argument that this executive order puts the American people
first by stopping terrorists to enter into the United States. This however is
based on far-reaching beliefs that stem from your misconceptions. The ban assumes that the average American citizen does not identify as Muslim and that
terrorists are only Muslim. However, this could not be further from the truth
as the United States has a significant domestic terrorism problem where
underrepresented communities are targeted and attacked from other American
citizens. Additionally, the recent terrorist attacks that the United States has seen have been from nations not mentioned in the Muslim Ban. The Marathon Bombers were from Kyrgyzstan. While Omar Mateen (Pulse Night Club), Dylan Roof (Charleston Church), and Stephen Paddock (Las Vegas) were all from the United States. The ban also sought to refuse any refugees from Syria. The executive
order goes against a cornerstone of our democracy: “Give me your tired, your
poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” It also goes against the
ideologies that the United States was founded on. Many settlers fled their
countries in escape of religious persecution to America and allowed to practice
any religion under the First Amendment. One can respect and understand the attempt to stop terrorism, however the Trump administration is going about it in an ineffective and
problematic way.
Task
The
task here is to give up on the travel ban. There are many other ways to fight
terrorism, but this one is unconstitutional and un-American. The fight to keep
the ban continues to solve nothing and wastes American’s time and energy, when
Congress and yourself could be working on viable options to actually stop
terrorism.
Solutions
The solution that I propose would be to drop the Muslim ban, increase security in American airports, and foster a better relationship with these nations. In terms of airport security, one could carry out background checks on travelers who have been marked by other countries for suspicious activity. Also, rather than banning entire countries from traveling to the United States, I suggest that the United States works to build relationships with these countries and to foster diplomacy, so that if the scare of a terrorist ever does arise, we can work with them to stop the problem. I believe that this would be much more effective rather than making egregious claims that no one from the entire country is safe to come to the US because one may be a terrorist.
Conclusion
To
fight against terrorism, the United States should drop the travel ban. It is
unconstitutional, un-American, and ineffective. We could increase airport
security, ramp up background checks and other means when one is purchasing
weapons, and improve diplomacy with these nations. If Trump truly wanted to put
the American people first, then he should not marginalize specific identities and
provide effective means to protect the people.
Is the travel ban actually un-American though? This would not be the first time in American history that certain countries have been banned or had their number of immigrants entering the country significantly reduced as was done in the 1920s.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this can be viewed as immoral, the United States has the right to exclude non-citizens from entering the country if they are believed to pose a danger to society. The rights of citizens should come before we consider the rights of those who are not yet citizens. Although it may sound heartless, it is best to prevent possible dangers from entering the nation while also increasing protections at home.
Although the ban may not be the most popular option, it has been used in America's past and until there is reason to believe that no threat can come from the regions outlined, then the US should take every precaution necessary.
Yes, domestic terrorism is a major issue facing our country, but with the attacks that have happened in the United States as well as in other major countries such as France and Germany, we cannot be too careful.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the argument contained in your memo, Drew. The "Muslim Ban" rests upon the assumption that anyone from these identified countries are automatically a threat just because of their national origin and their religious identity-- both of these are considered protected classes in America, and to discriminate against immigrants based on these identities would indeed be completely un-American.
ReplyDeleteAs per your suggested solution of increased airport security, I'm not sure how successful that would be, seeing as airport security is already extremely high. Nonetheless, I do agree that increased diplomatic efforts would be helpful. Discriminating against immigrants based on their muslim identity is exactly what the Islamic States wants us to do for their recruitment efforts. Working with these countries diplomatically would work against the goals of ISIS, thus working towards eliminating terrorism as it exists today.
I agree with your argument entirely, except for the part about increased airport security etc. The policy that has existed, through President Obama, really did not have issues attached to it. It was not as if there was actually an issue with terrorists seeping through. That was only a campaign slogan and motivator for scared Christian's who don't understand the Islamic faith.
ReplyDeleteOn a more broad note, I think the United States should take a different approach than what they have with refugees in total. We should be trying to get more people from these countries who are fleeing hardships. We should actively show that we are a compassionate country. There is no way that the people of Syria would not take note, if we, as Germany, accepted millions of refugees fleeing violence.