As is well known now, a series of unfortunate events unfolded over this past weekend. There was the explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan that injured 29 people on 23rd Street between 6th and 7th Avenues on Saturday night. There was the discovery of a pressure-cooker device just several blocks away from that blast. That’s not to mention the bombs found in New Jersey, all of this culminating in yesterday’s New Jersey shootout and capture of suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami. Adding on top of all of this were stabbings in Minnesota that terror group ISIS took credit for.
The situations that unfolded this weekend could have been worse. A lot worse. It is a reminder, however, that we do live in a dangerous world with people who want to harm our nation.
There are smart ways to respond to such a threat, taking a more measured approach that effectively tackles the problem at hand while protecting Americans’ civil liberties and the rights of groups that might particularly be looked upon with suspicion in light of such threats. And then, there’s Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s response.
In the wake of this Weekend’s events, the Donald called for profiling to be employed, saying on Fox News: “Our local police — they know who a lot of these people are. They are afraid to do anything about it because they don’t want to be accused of profiling.”
Claiming that we don’t have a choice but to profile, the reality TV star said that “We’re trying to be so politically correct in our country, and this is only going to get worse.”
To say the least, it is a little troubling that we have a candidate of a major political party who is brazenly going out there, saying such things. Saying these things, mind you, despite the immorality, the ineffectiveness, and the illegality of such a strategy.
On this point alone, the reality TV star should be disqualified from Presidential office. And with the Donald, this is simply scratching the surface.