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Who to Scapegoat? Guns or Muslims?
Townhall.com ^ | June 14, 2016 | Debra J. Saunders

Posted on 06/14/2016 5:02:14 AM PDT by Kaslin

A terrorist shot and killed 49 innocent Americans in Orlando Sunday morning. After the carnage, the political food fight started.

On the right, people fault Islamic extremism. When President Obama refuses to use the term "radical Islamic terrorism" that gives conservatives a chance to pounce. I know -- I've been one of them. We argue that if politicians aren't willing to use the term Islamic extremism, then they can't defeat it. It's true: You have to know who your enemy is, before you can vanquish your enemy. But using the right words is not a game-changer.

Donald Trump drew water from that well in a statement Sunday. "President Obama disgracefully refused to even say the words 'Radical Islam.' For that reason alone, he should step down," he said. "If Hillary Clinton, after this attack, still cannot say the two words 'Radical Islam' she should get out of this race for the Presidency."

For a guy who wrote "The Art of the Deal," Trump should know better than to set such a low bar. On Monday, Hillary Clinton uttered the words "radical Islamism." Of course. As secretary of state, Clinton was loath to use such language because she needed to build bridges with Muslim nations. As a presidential candidate, she has to speak plainly. So she did what she had to do.

Also on Monday, Trump again called for a temporary ban on immigration from Muslim nations that have exported terrorism. Problem: The Orlando shooter, like Trump, was born in New York. (His parents were immigrants, but then so was Trump's mother.) Simply by suggesting such a ban, Trump feeds the sense of unfair treatment that can spark radicalism in American Muslims.

Trump also called for better screening of refugees and immigrants, which would not be a bad thing, but again, better screening would not have prevented slaughter by an American. And it's hard to separate Trump's call for better screening from his call for a ban on Muslim immigration.

Democrats go after gun owners the way Trump targets Muslims. Clinton pronounced Monday as "not a day for politics." Then she called for a ban on "assault weapons." The Orlando shooter did use an AR-15 rifle, but, as gun owners have convinced me, a ban on one weapon only steers gun aficionados to weapons with similar firepower. Calls for such bans do not hinder criminals and do radicalize resourceful gun enthusiasts. Congratulations go to Clinton. She just sold thousands of AR-15s.

Clinton made another suggestion: "If the FBI is watching you for suspected terrorist links, you shouldn't be able to just go buy a gun with no questions asked." Problem: Such a law would not have prevented the Orlando shooter from purchasing guns. In 2013 and 2014 the FBI dropped investigations of Omar Mateen, who bought the weapons he used days before the shooting. Besides, if Congress were to pass such a law, civil rights organizations would get it tossed for violating due-process protections -- not to mention racial profiling.

Both sides proclaim: Why can't everyone be more like us? The world would be so much safer. Problem: That approach doesn't make the world safer.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: guns; massshootings; muslims; nationalsecurity; orlando; terrorism
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To: Kaslin

I just visited DU and found out that homophobes are the cause. The guy was gay and our society made it unacceptable for him to admit it. Not his dad or his religion but the entire homophobic country drove him to this. He wasn’t really a Muslim (like his dad) and just used ISIS as an excuse so nobody would find out he’s gay.

Also, it doesn’t need to be said again but if we had gun control legislation he wouldn’t have killed people. Somehow, people who don’t respect laws about murder will respect laws keeping them from owning guns.

And these people will be voting in November.


21 posted on 06/14/2016 5:25:54 AM PDT by LostPassword
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To: T-Bone Texan; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; TWhiteBear; Salvation; ...
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Article and # 4 .

22 posted on 06/14/2016 5:27:16 AM PDT by LucyT
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To: Kaslin

Gotta love libtard logic. “You can’t fight an ideology.”. Steyn hit the nail square on Rush yesterday. Good thing no one told our grandparents that because Nazism was an ideology and they seemed to find a way to defeat it. Once everyone who has the idea in their head is DEAD then one HAS defeated an ideology. We need to learn from our grandparents.


23 posted on 06/14/2016 5:29:10 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: Kaslin

Just doing something for the sake of doing something is not a solution.

Trump’s immigration plan would not have prevented Orlando or Fort Hood. It may have prevented San Bernadino - at least from the wife angle and maybe Boston.

In all those cases, there were ample warning signs which went unreported or unheeded. A start would be to cut the PC crap and take warning signs seriously - both the citizenry and the authorities.

There’s a fine line between free speech and threats, but if there are Imams who are advocating Islamic terrorism, they need to be shut down.

We need to look at countries with success on fighting terrorism. Israel, although not a failsafe, has done a good job protecting its citizens in that den of vipers over there. They do one huge thing we’re not “allowed” to do - they profile. They also present a large and overt security presence in public spaces. But heaven forbid if here a soldier is seen anywhere displaying a weapon!

Obama’s basically ceded the Middle East to ISIS. The drone strikes are like trying to catch a mosquito with chopsticks. There is SO much more that could be done to cut off support for ISIS and lend support to the good guys over there. That wouldn’t even involve a large military presence over there.

In this day and age, we have to face the fact that there is no such thing as 100% security. We have to be alert and aware and be prepared to defend ourselves and our families. Don’t go to lightly guarded gun free zones such as big night clubs. Always know what you’re going to do and how to get out in case something happens.

It’s foolhardy to depend on Big Brother to protect us. Trading one Big Brother (Obama) for another Big Brother (Trump) is not the solution.


24 posted on 06/14/2016 5:29:33 AM PDT by randita
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To: LostPassword

The louder DU speaks the clearer the public’s choice of sanity under fire.


25 posted on 06/14/2016 5:30:27 AM PDT by Ketill Frostbeard ("Go not a step from your door unarmed, travel armed for war, you may at any time need a spear." ODIN)
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To: Kaslin

Give a gun to a gay. How soon will a gay person kill muslims with it?

Give a gun to radical islamist. How soon will a radical islamist kill a gay with it?

Its clear that gun isn’t the problem nor gays, but radical islamists


26 posted on 06/14/2016 5:31:52 AM PDT by 4rcane
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To: Ketill Frostbeard

Clarifying DT is the choice of sanity ;)


27 posted on 06/14/2016 5:32:16 AM PDT by Ketill Frostbeard ("Go not a step from your door unarmed, travel armed for war, you may at any time need a spear." ODIN)
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To: Ketill Frostbeard

“...under the influence of foreign contributors.”. The Saudi head of state said just the other day he funded %20 of Her Thighness’ campaign. Illegal, right there. Period. Full stop. One more crime to add to Her Thighness’ long list of abuses.


28 posted on 06/14/2016 5:34:37 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: 4rcane
That was pretty good in the shrewd logic department. 🏆
29 posted on 06/14/2016 5:35:22 AM PDT by Ketill Frostbeard ("Go not a step from your door unarmed, travel armed for war, you may at any time need a spear." ODIN)
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To: Kaslin

The crook-o-beast did not say “Radical Islam”, she said “Radical Islamism”. Is that the same?


30 posted on 06/14/2016 5:35:34 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (The reason for Gun Control has always been Government's Fear of Rebellion.)
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To: Kaslin

It’s the culture - it’s the culture - it’s the culture.

There are two major scenarios for rampant homicide in this country at this time: the skyrocketing murder rates in Chicago, Baltimore, and other urban areas, and the increasing incidents of homicidal terrorism by Muslims. And the problem in each case is not deranged nut cases, it’s the culture the perps are marinated in.

In the cities, of course, it’s the ghetto culture, where “oppression” and “police brutality” are used to excuse violence that is celebrated in hip-hop “music”.

And with the Islamists it’s a distorted view of God’s will as laid out in the teachings of their Koranic life manual, and the warped example of their so-called prophet.

Far from proving that guns are at the heart of the problem, those two areas prove exactly the opposite. Urban violence is the worst in those locations where gun control is the most strict. And the worst case of domestic Islamic terrorism (9/11) took place without the use of a single gun.

None of the ghetto violence is going to stop until the ghetto culture is changed - that will require leadership, but will mostly depend on the residents themselves.

None of the Islamic terrorism is going to diminish until those in that cult undergo their own Reformation - and that doesn’t look probable. In the meantime, importing more Muslims only serves to increase that cultural influence and embolden those warped by it: that needs to stop now.


31 posted on 06/14/2016 5:35:40 AM PDT by Stosh
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To: Biggirl

Trump is totally in charge now.


32 posted on 06/14/2016 5:36:26 AM PDT by jazminerose (oective)
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To: Kaslin

It doesn’t matter where he was born. Increased surveillance in mosques, reduction of Muslims entering the country, doubling down on ISIS, stopping the money flow from the Saudis, energy independence, all will reduce the climate which made this guy comfortable. The dems want the chaos.


33 posted on 06/14/2016 5:37:20 AM PDT by Mercat (Boredom is a problem on the inside. And happiness, too, is an inside job.)
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To: wastoute

Like she’s a hero mafioso. Fleecing millions, making America a ghetto while throwing her followers dimestore candy.


34 posted on 06/14/2016 5:39:03 AM PDT by Ketill Frostbeard ("Go not a step from your door unarmed, travel armed for war, you may at any time need a spear." ODIN)
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To: Helicondelta

Happy Land nightclub.
1 gallon gasoline.
87 dead.
Look it up.


35 posted on 06/14/2016 5:40:43 AM PDT by ctdonath2 ("Get the he11 out of my way!" - John Galt)
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To: Kaslin

Guns, obviously.
Can’t blame Islam, Moslems, or their barbaric ‘cultures’ - they rank higher on the victimology scale than Gays.


36 posted on 06/14/2016 5:42:31 AM PDT by Little Ray (NOTHING THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO PAY FOR IS A RIGHT.)
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To: Kaslin

“Both sides proclaim: Why can’t everyone be more like us? The world would be so much safer. Problem: That approach doesn’t make the world safer.”

Yeah, why can’t everyone elect Deb Saunders POTUS by acclamation, the world would be SO much safer.


37 posted on 06/14/2016 5:43:00 AM PDT by Buttons12 ( It Can't Happen Here -- Sinclair Lewis.)
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To: Kaslin

You have to stop the flow of terrorists (moslems) into the country before you can start rooting out the terrorists (moslems) already here.

Soon to be President Trump is taking the right tack on this. Ban moslem immigration today, then when we are able, ban islam entirely.

Eradicating islam is the ONLY way to assure our future safety.


38 posted on 06/14/2016 5:43:17 AM PDT by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: Kaslin

Well, from my Facebook this morning, evidently this is all the fault of us hateful Christians and right-wing gun nuts. (oh, and Trump, too) I found it quite upsetting and confusing to be honest.


39 posted on 06/14/2016 5:44:07 AM PDT by twyn1
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To: Kaslin
Who to Scapegoat? Guns or Muslims?
Easy.



40 posted on 06/14/2016 5:44:44 AM PDT by Bratch
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