By John Kay, Editor-in-Chief at West
Confusion may be the absence of structure. It can also originate from the overwhelming demand for it. The most concerning aspect of confusion, is that of the real possibility of it destroying relations among those living in the information age. The Travel Ban that President Trump implemented has caused quite a stir for many reasons. The ramifications in regards to understanding the news can be vital, and of most importance when making sense of this confusion.
Immigrants and refugees across the country have raised concern over the status of immigration in America. Shahad Al Darwash, an apprehensive Tri-C student from Baghdad, Iraq, expressed concern for fellow students who have immigrated to America. “Many students will be affected emotionally and physically because students won’t be thinking about their education—instead they will be thinking about their status in the country and finding a way to stay,” When asked if travel bans are needed, Shahad replied, “travel bans are sometimes necessary, but they should only occur in a situation where the country is being badly and mainly affected by immigration and refugees…”
Regardless of ones’ opinion on the ban, the status of these immigration policies have ample complications on the future of the country. To be clear, a District Court ruled to halt the travel ban, but at this time the situation remains fluid. These ramifications should cause news outlets to strive to report the truth, instead of capitalizing on the vulnerability of uniformed Americans.
It is vital that the nation stands true to its’ foundation while moving forward with facts. Margaret W. Wong has been listed as one of the “Best Lawyers in America.” Her firm was rated a “Tier 1 Best Law Firm” by U.S. News – Best Lawyers®. Martindale-Hubbell also awarded Ms. Wong the highest rating, AV, based on her legal ability and general-ethics standards.
“President Trump believes that the ban is necessary to ensure that refugees are properly vetted before entering the United States. He believes this is necessary to prevent threats to the security and welfare of the United States,” Replied Margaret Wong when asked about the purpose of the ban. “However, refugees are the most stringently vetted group of immigrants. The Executive Order ignores research on refugee screening,” said Ms. Wong.
The CATO Institute provides further clarity on Ms. Wong’s statement; “Foreigners from those seven nations have killed zero Americans in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil between 1975 and the end of 2015.” The author Alex Nowrasteh continued, “Zero Americans have been killed by Syrian refugees in a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The annual chance of an American dying in a terrorist attack committed by a refugee is one in 3.6 billion.”
Nabil Salem, a Tri-C student from Syria, voiced his reaction to the Travel Ban, “It was the biggest shock I met in US. It is very known that US is the country of immigrants who came from the whole world to share in building and developing this Nation. That is a fact that has been taught to many generations from early ages.”
The country is immersed in information about the ban that it becomes difficult to understand opposing views. Americans often consider other views as irrelevant and refuse to have open and constructive conversations. The Heritage Foundations’ article written by James Jay Carafano, provides reasoning for the ban, “…the United States wants to take the time needed to review and improve its process for admitting refugees — especially refugees from terrorist-ridden Syria — so it does not suffer the same problems experienced by our European partners, problems which have led to deadly attacks on innocents.”
These concerns or lack thereof have reasonable opinions that can be debated repeatedly. But that is besides the point, the most essential thing to do is to have those ever-so important conversations. Too often facts become nonexistent in discussions…causing misperception. Confusion is initiated by excessive information—blurred information—that creates tension that seems uncontainable.
Tri-C offers substantial services for constructive dialog, Conversation Connect as well as the International Club are great opportunities for open conversations. Students and individuals alike can engage these issues while keeping in mind the words of John F Kennedy: “Too often we… enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
Heritage: http://www.heritage.org/immigration/commentary/trump-refugees-and-the-truth
Cato: https://www.cato.org/blog/little-national-security-benefit-trumps-executive-order-immigration
