America doesn’t even seem to be united on how to put an end to terrorism.
Photo courtesy of Ben Chun (Flickr)
In the wake of the latest terror incidents in the United States, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton each used the terrible events to assert themselves as the one who should lead the country to combat terror.
At a presidential rally for Trump hosted in Florida, supporters shouted “Hang him!” in reference to Ahmad Khan Rahami, the primary suspect of the recent bombings in New Jersey and New York. Rather than trying to stop the malicious chants and encourage his supporters to be better than their enemy, Trump allowed the crowd to chant while he spewed more of his big-mouthed rhetoric.
The GOP candidate was opposed to the idea of Rahami receiving medical treatment and legal representation, claiming that terrorists need severe punishment.
There is a big difference between justice and revenge that Trump is ignoring. Revenge is about making yourself feel better, while justice is about making sure things are handled fairly and the foundations of the law are preserved. Stooping to the level of the terrorists is the easy way to solve the problem, but it is not the right way.
However, Clinton is just as guilty of promoting biased ideologies. She has been making the argument that affiliates of ISIS and other Islamic militants want Trump to win, as his hateful rhetoric toward Muslims only encourages the division between Americans and Muslim people.
Clinton is trying to point fingers and assign blame like a kindergartner when she should acknowledge that it was the decision-making of the Democratic party that helped ISIS become what it is today. Clinton often mentions her involvement in the execution of Osama Bin Laden, yet, like a hydra, one head was cut off and two grew in its place.
Things in Afghanistan seemed to finally be under control until President Barack Obama mandated a recall of thousands of troops. Once the recall occurred, things fell into chaos again and Americans’ fear of Al-Qaeda soon faded to make way for their fear of ISIS.
After 13 years of warfare and sacrifices, we are right back where we started. The idea that we can walk away from a country with traces of terrorism still in it is a naive one. Terrorism is like a bacterial disease that will never leave the host until it is eviscerated for good.
Less than two months away from the presidential election, our country finds itself as divided as ever. Now more than ever, we need a leader who will encourage unity and reasonable compromises for the greater good of the free world. Unfortunately, our two presidential candidates are too busy acting like immature children to be focused on anyone but themselves.
In fact, Trump threw Clinton’s comments right back in her face by claiming that ISIS wants her to win the election. It is the equivalent of a child saying, “I know you are but what am I?” Out of stubbornness and ego, Clinton and Trump have worsened the tensions that many citizens in the United States harbor toward one another. The presidential candidates are trying so hard to draw the battle lines in this election that they are not focusing on the battle lines America must draw with countries infected with terrorism.
People are often shocked when an act of terror happens in this country, but they never seem to ask themselves why it keeps on happening. The answer is this: people are so divided on these situations that all they do is argue with each other instead of trying to come together and think of a way to solve the problem at hand.
Our candidates are so far to each side of the political spectrum that they cannot understand the people needing reassurance about their own safety. Instead, this glorified popularity contest of a presidential election finds two wholly unlikable candidates doing anything they can to win votes as opposed to actually helping the American people. Thanks in no small part to the divisive natures of Clinton and Trump, our country is so divided among its own people that we cannot be united in the common goal to put an end to terror.
