Commentary: In the name of Trumpism

Candidate’s ban on a religion is unAmerican

Why will Donald Trump's notion of barring Muslims from entering the United States not torpedo his presidential aspirations?

Because when he said what he said, some Americans nodded in agreement.

The political world was rocked by Trump's articulation because most politicians (1) don't agree with the idea and (2) wouldn't say it out loud even if they did. In a nationwide, televised speech, President Obama seemed desperate to communicate steadfast resolve but came across as lacking a serious response to terrorism's growth. It's no wonder many Americans seem ready to hear someone sound decisive and action oriented.

What Trump said is a short-sighted, impulsive reaction, the kind that emerges from an emotion-filled lack of confidence some people have in the federal government's -- in President Obama's -- capacity to lead a victorious fight against radical Islamic terrorism.

Trump said what a lot of Americans feel. In their minds, if a thousand peace-loving, law-abiding Muslims are knocking at the door and one of them has a bomb strapped to his chest, it's ill-advised to let any of them in.

A woman at a Trump rally backed her candidate's call, saying "We have to protect our American citizens first."

"Somebody needs to just go in there and take control of this," she said. "I just think it's going rampant and I'm worried about America, worried about our safety. They're getting in. They need to be stopped."

One "man on the street" interviewed agreed with Trump's approach wholeheartedly. Asked why, the response was simple: "I don't want'em here."

That comment only makes sense if the "them" he doesn't want here are radical Islamist terrorists willing to kill Americans. Who wants them in our country, or any country? If we knew six months ago what we know now about Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, the couple that killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif., how many would find a ban that kept them out of the United States attractive?

Trump's idea is entirely unAmerican, but nobody should underestimate what fear can drive people to do. Let's forget about Republicans for a minute and turn our attentions to the ultimate Democrat, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Before Pearl Harbor, as tensions with Japan grew, Roosevelt's administration took pains to assert Japanese-Americans were a loyal group. Within two months of the attack in Hawaii, Roosevelt signed an executive order granting his War Department the authority to create military exclusion areas. Who was excluded? People of Japanese origins or descent. More than 110,000 Japanese-Americans were removed to inland internment camps, two of them in southern Arkansas.

Trump knows such a hysterical reaction is exactly what some Americans, shaken by importation of terrorism on U.S. soil, want.

"The group that is not criticizing me is the public," Trump said in a CNN interview. "The public agrees with what I said. They saw those two animals (in San Bernardino) last week go out and shoot people."

Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House and figuratively the head of the GOP within government, recognized Trump's idea for the damage it could do.

""This is not conservatism," Ryan said. "What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it's not what this country stands for. Not only are there many Muslims serving in our armed forces dying for this country, there are Muslims serving right here in the House working every day to uphold and to defend the Constitution. Some of our best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islamic terror are Muslims, the vast, vast, vast majority of whom are peaceful., who believe in pluralism, freedom, democracy, individual rights."

Paul Ryan is not running for president. Trump is, and he's handily beating the other candidates at the moment. Conservatism, however, isn't at the heart of his candidacy. It's Trumpism, and it's the only ideology Donald Trump subscribes to. It's doing whatever it takes to get what he wants.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich rejected Trump's Muslim ban.

"This is just more of the outrageous divisiveness that characterizes his every breath and another reason why he is entirely unsuited to lead the United States," Kasich said.

What I find odd about support for Donald Trump's standard is it really won't stop people who would threaten our country. A person who openly declares "I hate America" would not be prohibited coming into the country because it's free speech.

Most Americans, in calmer times, would immediately recognize the folly and wrongheadedness of Trump's idea. The days after two Islamic radicals kill Americans in California doesn't qualify as calmer times.

Commentary on 12/14/2015

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