The framers of the “travel ban,” signed by President Donald Trump, keep insisting it’s not a “ban on Muslims.”
However, imagine how it feels to be a hard-working, law-abiding, tax-paying Somali man, woman or child right here in our area – many of whom have become by now full-fledged American citizens. Imagine how they felt when Trump, as a candidate, promised a ban on the entry of Muslims into this country. And imagine how they now feel? We are told the ban is not a blanket exclusion of Muslims, and yet – remembering Trump’s campaign promise – how can we and especially the Muslims among us be reassured of the intentions behind that ban?
And, now, imagine how our ancestors – German, Scandinavian, Irish, Slovenian – would have felt if our government back then suddenly one day placed a blanket ban on travel from those areas of the world. Fears, suspicions and insecurities would have surfaced quickly. Immigrants to this country have often been faced with hostilities, with tensions and prejudices one against another because of ethnicity, religion or color. There was often a fear of the “other,” a fear of “differences,” with too many people bemoaning with a sigh, “Why can’t they all be like us?”
When a president of the United States and his inner-office advisors initiate blanket bans almost literally overnight, with no wise planning and with no rational explanations, who can blame anyone for being angry or distraught?
No one is faulting the Trump Administration for trying to beef up security by meticulously reconsidering methods to vet any newcomer to this country. Vetting procedures are already lengthy and involved, but if they can be improved, they should be. Border security is important, and it should be strengthened, absolutely.
However, this blanket ban is not the way to do it. It’s like trying to swat a fly (a potential terrorist) with a giant fly swatter that is comprised of only a frame with no swatting surface.
Apparently, the framers of the travel ban are rewriting it, hopefully this time with common sense and constitutional guarantees uppermost in mind. In the meantime, we who have long lived in America, thanks to our immigrant ancestors, should make sure the newer immigrants in our midst are safe, welcomed and protected.
Signing an order for a blanket ban is certainly not the way to do that.
