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.
As a gay person, the scariest words you will ever hear are "Allahu akbar."
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We’re concerned about “the backlash” now.
We do not need to even have this conversation. We all know the answer.
The word “scapegoat” is a loaded word. We are not scapegoating muslims for their atrocities, but merely holding them responsible, which is a tenet of western civilization.
Seems like “they” want to use “religion of peace” and “no way associated with terror activities” a lot. “They” also like to use “assault style weapon” and “battlefield weapon” and “machine gun” and “evil guns designed to spray bullets” a lot.
Much, much easier to put the guilt on an inanimate object right?
Islam needs to be banned in the US. Islam is an anethma to the Constitution and the values of western civilization. People who do not give up this cult must move back to Islamic countries.
Um.. Guns would be a scapegoat, muslims would be the perpetrator(s).
Solved!
Take the guns away and the crazies will use explosives, resulting in much greater carnage.
Some miss the point. The most recent jihadist was only an AMERICAN born in this country due to the fact proper vetting of the Muslim’s parents had failed to distinguish their transgressions. If vetting had been properly accomplished they would not have been allowed to reside in this country. Little guy would not have been born in this country, given citizenship papers and this story line would have been changed. One point...which is sharp indeed.
Obama is trying to divert attention away from the fact that he has no strategy (or maybe he has no intention) of combating Islamic terrorism by trying to turn the Orlando attack into a gun control issue. We need to keep emphasizing that the issue is Islamic terrorism, not guns. Nobody died of a gunshot wound on 9/11. Nobody died of a gun shot wound at the Boston Marathon. Nobody died of a gunshot wound at the airport in Brussels. Radical Islam will use whatever means they have at their disposal to kill as many of us “infidels” as they possibly can.
DC elites fighting for confiscation of one and inundation under the other while under the influence of foreign contributors.
‘As Secretary of State, Clinton was loathe to use such language because”....she was cadging million$ from muslim governments for the Clinton Crime Family Slush Fund. And probably intends to continue doing it, even as POTUS, if she should win; God forbid.
Does that clear it up any?
Yet now, thanks to one DJT, the truth is now starting to come out.
Happy Birthday DJT!
....And is losing in both.
Well put.
But Logic will be lost on the Politically Correct Leftist
But because of one DJT, she has now started to use those certain words “radical Islamic terrorism”.
One side will scapegoat one. The other side will scapegoat the other.
And this pundit falls into the same trap with regard to containing the scourge of Islam.
I am curious how it is scapegoating Muslims when the killed pledged his allegiance to ISIS during a break in the killings.
We also know from the msm and the “fine” folks at (bowel)moveon.org that DJT is a big fat liar and he hates all immigrants. Or something. I wonder how many immigrants he employs. I wonder how many glbtq’s he employs. I wonder how many “people of color”(you pick the color) he employs. I’m pretty sure it’s more than hildabama or uncle burn-me.
Happy Birthday Mr. Trump. Hopefully next year we’ll be saying Happy Birthday President Trump.
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