Running in the Wrong Direction

Time and time again, I wonder if the Republican Party has ever been taught how to use a compass, or can even grasp the concept of a GPS unit, as they are clearly running in the wrong direction. From their attempts to dismantle the environmental policies that protect our natural resources, and indeed our health and well-being, to their attempts to undermine the upcoming COP21 Climate Conference in Paris, they are hell-bent on dragging the country down the path to never-never land that they seem to be following. Granted, most of them are in the pockets of the fossil fuel industry, polluters, and any number of special interest groups looking to profit at the expense of our environment and health, so I suppose it is to be expected, but it is still appalling. 

Following the recent tragedy in Paris, the Republicans have really shown how backwards their views are, and how closed-minded their leadership is. Never mind the fact that the bombings in Beirut and the continual attacks by Boko Haram on the Nigerian people largely go unreported, the fact that the Republican party seized upon this tragedy to try and block all Syrian refugees from entering this country is outrageous. Even more repugnant was the suggestion by some that only Christian refugees be allowed into the country. There are many flaws with the "logic" of the Republican Party (although using both words in the same sentence really feels like an oxymoron)…

For starters, the idea that letting Syrian (i.e. Muslim) refugees into the country makes us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks is laughable. The refugees entering this country already go through more intense scrutiny than people entering the country on work, student, or tourist visas, yet they have been the majority of perpetrators of terrorist attacks and threats in the country. Also, does the name Timothy McVeigh not mean anything? One of the worst terrorist attacks this country has seen outside of 9/11 was the bombing in Oklahoma City, which was masterminded and carried out by white male citizens of the United States, not refugees seeking shelter from terrorists themselves… Unabomber, Eric Rudolph, the list goes on…. Home-grown, white male terrorists, often doing their terror in the name of Christianity.

The offensive suggestion that only letting Christian refugees in would be acceptable is just as preposterous, as if being Christian makes you immune to being a threat to anyone. More than 1 million people died during the Crusades, and thousands died during the Inquisition. Both of these were done in the name of Christianity. The torture tens of thousands faced during the Inquisition rivaled that used by many modern terrorists, but again, it was done in the name of Christianity. There are countless examples throughout history of Christianity usurping the cultures and customs of other peoples in order to better force them to assimilate, and when they resisted, they were done away with.

I am not saying that all Republicans are of this mindset, or that there are not Democrats who are delusional in their views as well, but as a whole, the Republican Party, and not the Syrian refugees, is one of the biggest threats our country currently faces.