Clearly, Trump is wrong about Muslims. But the "debate" about this is mostly missing an important point...
Clearly, Trump is wrong about Muslims. But the "debate" about this is mostly missing an important point: "Islam" is not one thing.
It's fine to say that if you want to destroy America or commit terrorist acts, you shouldn't be allowed into America. It's also fine to say that if you think that Americans should all be forced to follow Sharia law, your views are un-American.
But those views are not "Islam." Neither is it true that those views are not "Islam." "Islam" is not one thing. "Islam" is different things to different Muslims. Most of the angst we have regarding "Islam" in America is that many people see all Muslims as having the same views about "Islam," and that's just wrong.
But it is also true that many adherents to Islam do see Islam as being un-American and terroristic, and that we are terrible at figuring out which Muslims have those views, and we not only do let some of them into the country, but we also make some of them citizens. Arguably, we should not be letting them in and making them citizens. But how do you stop it?
This is a problem. But Trump's proposal won't help solve it.
It's fine to say that if you want to destroy America or commit terrorist acts, you shouldn't be allowed into America. It's also fine to say that if you think that Americans should all be forced to follow Sharia law, your views are un-American.
But those views are not "Islam." Neither is it true that those views are not "Islam." "Islam" is not one thing. "Islam" is different things to different Muslims. Most of the angst we have regarding "Islam" in America is that many people see all Muslims as having the same views about "Islam," and that's just wrong.
But it is also true that many adherents to Islam do see Islam as being un-American and terroristic, and that we are terrible at figuring out which Muslims have those views, and we not only do let some of them into the country, but we also make some of them citizens. Arguably, we should not be letting them in and making them citizens. But how do you stop it?
This is a problem. But Trump's proposal won't help solve it.
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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