By Scott Buttram, publisher
Commentary
TRUSSVILLE –Right now, there is a Muslim entering the United States. They are coming from Paris, or London, or Madrid, or Tokyo, or Beijing. No one is stopping them. No one is sending them home or detaining them. It isn’t happening because there is no Muslim ban in the United States. It doesn’t exist.
Despite the meltdown over President Donald Trump’s recent immigration order restricting travel visas for seven countries, there is no Muslim ban. Of course, that hasn’t stopped #MuslimBan from becoming a thing in the hyperbole world of social media.
Twitter’s 140 characters aren’t designed for deep discussion and certainly not for deep thought. That’s why it’s the perfect hangout for so many in the media.
The order merely suspends the issuance of visas for Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen while the Department of Homeland Security reviews and strengthens the vetting process of individuals traveling to the United States. Ultimately, the goal is to make sure people entering this country are who they say they are and intend no ill will toward American citizens.
It may be extended or maybe it won’t. In the meantime, exceptions can be made on a case by case basis.
That’s prudent considering the government of several of those countries is in shambles and others, such as Iran, are certainly no friend to the United States. Should additional countries be added? Probably. And Trump’s order allows that based on the recommendation of cabinet members.
The order also suspends the refugee resettlement program for 120 days. That program will ultimately give priority to people who are being persecuted for religious reasons. Considering it is Christians who are being beheaded by Muslim terrorists, we should probably find out why more Muslims than Christians were permitted into the U.S. in 2016.
Certainly some Muslims are under attack from other Muslims in Islamic civil wars. That’s undeniable, but the fact that Christians are the favored target is also undeniable.
The fact is, all seven of these countries were already under travel restrictions put in place by former president Barack Obama. The concerns that caused Obama to initiate the restrictions in the first place have only deteriorated.
Funny how the Chicken Little crowd didn’t hashtag Muslim ban when Obama issued his order. Of course, this is the same crowd that thought he could do no wrong and Hillary couldn’t lose. Even now, most of them have been too busy wetting their pants to realize Trump simply upped the ante that Obama put in the game.
After eight years of the anti-Obama crowd criticizing every decision he made, you can bet your bottom dollar that the anti-Trump crowd will return the favor in spades. Grab a comfortable chair and enjoy the show. It’s just getting started.
25 Comments
Allyson Anderson
Jessie Odell
Did anyone else notice he didn’t restrict the countries he has businesses in?lol
Meg O'Neal Pritchard
Considering there was recently a shooting in the baggage claim of FLL and airport security is serious, the protesting in and around the airport needs to stop ASAP. People can protest all day and night at a park. This is a security hazard.
Jessie Odell
Get yeh guns, get yeh diesel, hide yeh chillens and hide yo women. The Muslins is coming for ye. Time to stand tall ‘Mercia.
Jessie Odell
I think we will just stay home or charter till all this is over.lol
Vicki Cunningham Higgins
Thank you
Valerie Brasfield Cartee
Yes, thank you for this fantastic article!
Chris Shelton
Did anyone else notice that the countries on the list were the same seven countries from the same list created by Obama… for the same reason?lol
Tracey Littrell
Thank you!
Beth Brooks Baker
Awesome!
Erica Christie
Wow, Trussville Tribune. I didn’t realize your were so one sided. What is about those countries that caused them to be banned? Terrorist activity? Saudi Arabia is the place with the most deadly terrorist activity for this country but it’s not banned… why is that? Iran isn’t our friend? What have they done in the last 40 years that has caused harm to America? You should really look into Saudi Arabia if you’re worried about terrorists.
Mike Davis
Agreed. Trump should have added Saudia Arabia. He just took the countries that Obama had highlighted as needing additional screening and put a temporary ban on them. As far as Iran, no they are not friends with the US, they exhibit it weekly, if not daily. Some stuff doesn’t make the press but, yeah, just a little research. Lol.
Erica Christie
I know lots of Iranians. I hear first hand accounts. They all don’t hate us, I promise. This ban is keeping their families from being together. He says it’s for 90 days but who knows what will happen after that time is up. At this point there’s no guarantee. Iranians aren’t killing Americans, which is what this ban implies, that we’re in danger. In order to live on this planet, we have to coexist. Relations are better without bans and tariffs and hate. This feeds the terrorist propaganda machine. They are loving it. 🤦🏼♀️
Briana Moore
You should read the Executive Order. It explains exactly what is to happen – much of which rests on those countries providing reliable information to the US. So, it’s really up to them on how long the restrictions last. Here’s a link if you care to read for yourself: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/refugee-muslim-executive-order-trump.html?_r=0
Briana Moore
Nice to see some common sense and truth in the media.
Reuben Barringer
Good to see the new rationale is the same as the old. Blame the old guard. Who was complaining about that again?
Tjo Johnson
Everyone wants a hero to save them from the bogeyman so someone steps up and now everyone says ” no wait, we didn’t mean all bogeyman” and wants to hand pick them. It’s not either or. Jessie Odell take a long hard look at the countries on the list. You didn’t ” notice” anything….you read it in the Post or on social media.
Chris Shelton
1) There is no “ban”.
2) The list came from the Obama administration’s restrictions, some of which lasted for a longer period. See HR 158 2015.
3) 87% of the Muslim-majority countries in the world are unaffected… so calling it a “Muslim ban” just makes you look dumb.
4) A whopping 109 people have been detained.
5) Regarding Constitutionality, see 8 U.S. Code § 1182
Alicia Eads
More info for the misinformed:
Share this as well
LAURENS, SC (FOX Carolina) –
South Carolina Congressman Jeff Duncan (R) issued this statement on President Trump’s executive order:
Friends,
I have seen more distortion, hyperbole, and outright lies about President Trump’s national security executive order from Democrats and the media over the past few days than I have seen on about any other issue since I came to Congress.
Yesterday I posted a full copy of the executive order for you to read, and as promised, I would now like to take a few moments to provide context and help dispel the rumors about these new rules.
Even before the attacks in Nice, Paris, and Berlin, I vocally expressed my concern about the threat of radical Islamic terrorism and the need to avoid repeating Europe’s mistakes by carefully reviewing our immigration and refugee resettlement programs. Of the refugee resettlement programs out there, there is one country in particular that has concerned me and that’s Syria. It is impossible to properly vet someone from Syria due to the ongoing civil war. Most people don’t have documentation, and it is difficult to verify people’s identities and backgrounds. It has been well reported that people from other countries are even attempting to pose as Syrian refugees in order to gain access to Europe and the United States. While many of these people are doing this in hopes of achieving a better life, there are numerous recorded instances of terrorists disguising themselves as refugees in order to enter other countries. In fact, Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, recently reported that there have been roughly 500 known instances of terrorists and people with known terrorist ties attempting to enter United States through the refugee resettlement program, which again is remarkable given how little we know about these people. While President Obama was in office, he ignored calls from many Governors like Nikki Haley to not send Syrian refugees to their state because of vetting concerns. And despite the growing threat of ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism, President Obama decided to actually increase the number of refugees he was planning on bringing into the United States to at least 100,000, a policy that was echoed by Secretary Clinton during the campaign.
Now let’s examine the facts of the Executive Order.
1) The EO does not end the global refugee resettlement program. It suspends the program for 120 days in order to review vetting and safety procedures. The order also caps the annual refugee number to around 50,000, which is roughly the average that it was during the Bush Administration. However, the actual number of refugees we will bring into the United States will most likely be significantly higher than that because it does not include people who come here on there own like the unaccompanied children from Central America, and extended family members of people who have already settled in the US. However, the Executive Order does halt the Syrian refugee program due to the concerns I previously outlined.
Some have criticized this move saying we have a moral obligation to help the Syrian people. I agree that we are a compassionate people and we do need to help. However, the best way to help the humanitarian crisis in Syria is to stabilize the country, not bring in refugees that put Americans lives at risk. It’s worth noting that Franklin Graham who runs Samaritan’s Purse, one of the largest Christian aid organizations providing relief to Syrian refugees, also shares this belief.
Back in 2011, I warned the Obama Administration against taking sides in the middle of the civil war. Despite those concerns, the Obama Administration gave weapons to factions of the Syrian rebels, some of which fell into the hands of ISIS. To complicate things even more, the Syrian government is backed by Russia, which only further draws out the conflict. The best way to address the humanitarian crisis in Syria is to broker some sort of agreement with Russia (which ironic given how much the left has made political hay out of President Trump’s attempt to improve relations with Russia on issues like terrorism), and to establish safe zones for the Syrian people, something that the Syrian rebels had asked President Obama to do for years but he refused. Building safe zones in Syria will help far more people than what even President Obama proposed we do through the refugee resettlement program.
2) Does President Trump’s executive order create a Muslim ban? Absolutely not. President Trump’s order created a 90 day moratorium for visa travelers from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Libya while we assess the screening and vetting process with these countries. Three of these countries have been classified as terrorist safe havens by the Obama Administration, the other three have known terrorist organizations operating within them. You’ll notice that the largest Muslim majority country in the world, Indonesia, isn’t even on this list. That is because again, this is not a Muslim ban. This part of the Executive Order addresses the real concerns about the situation on the ground in these countries. Iran for example is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, with terrorist assets and agents scattered all across the Western Hemisphere. Because President Obama ignored a bipartisan coalition in Congress by lifting sanctions and giving billions of dollars to Iran, they are now better financed to further fund their terrorist efforts throughout the globe. I believe this warrants taking some precautions to protect the American people.
3) What am I hearing about President Trump wanting to retool refugee program to assist religious and ethnic minorities? The refugee program has long sought to help religious and ethnic minorities because they are at a higher risk of persecution. That’s why it was so alarming that during President Obama’s watch, Christian Syrians were significantly under represented in the refugee resettlement program. Christians make up roughly 10% of the population in Syria, but only accounted for less than .05% of those who were admitted to the United States. Not only does this deserve a full investigation to determine how and why this happened, but it reveals the need to ensure we are helping the most vulnerable first. That does not only include Christians in the Middle East, but also Kurds, Jews, and those of the Bahai faith. President Trump’s order does not say that only religious and ethnic minorities would be helped under the refugee resettlement program, but rather they would be an increased focus.
Final thoughts. The White House announced that 325,000 people from foreign countries traveled to the United States this past Saturday, and out of those only 109 were initially detained and the vast majority of those have been released. The Executive Order allows for individual’s cases to be reviewed for admission into the United States on a case-by-case basis. So while there will be some adjustments that need to be made, there seems to be a process where these people can make the case for why they should not be subject to these new restrictions. At the end of the day, the media has a responsibility to report on facts. Calling this a Muslim ban is inaccurate. Posting pictures of the Statue of Liberty weeping is insulting. Ignoring the need to keep Americans safe is irresponsible. The news media has been more critical of President Trump before he even took office, than they ever were to President Obama and it is shameful. Let’s stick to the facts, and to me the facts clearly back up the President’s actions.
– Jeff Duncan
Jeff Duncan is from Laurens, South Carolina and serves as the Congressman for the Third Congressional District.
Chris Shelton
As it is with most of the regressive left’s knee-jerk, handwringing proclamations, this is a dog whistle of ignorance aimed at the uneducated and easily-led, and it’s done for no other reason than to foment dischord and advance a political agenda
Dave Perry
Nice try.
How come Saudi Arabia isn’t on the list?
Jessie Odell
I have no clue what your talking about? If your referring to my 3 post above that were to “Scott” they were made in satire. I wouldn’t expect you to see that as you don’t know me.
Richard Jones Jr.
I think right now they are going on a list that was suggested and put into place in , i think, 2011 under Obama!
Dave Perry
Here we go again: It’s Obama’s fault!
Cindy Thompson Dumas
According to Reince Priebus, they started with these countries because Congress had already approved them under Obama and they knew there would be no hold up. He said they may consider others but this was a start.