Concrete Steps We Can Take To Defend Against Terrorism
Last night, President Obama gave a prime-time speech about last week’s mass shooting in San Bernardino and the threat of terrorism to our country. The address was only the third time President Obama has delivered a speech from the oval office. He referred to the San Bernardino shooting as “an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people,” and said the threat of terrorism has evolved. But he affirmed, “We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us.”
In outlining his larger plan to defeat ISIL, President Obama also delivered one of his most powerful denunciations of Islamophobia. “Here’s what else we cannot do. We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what groups like ISIL want,” he said.
Unsurprisingly, Republican presidential candidates have not heeded the president’s advice. Donald Trump went as far as to call for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims” entering the United States today, a notion that is more than just irresponsible–it’s dangerous. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio asked “Where is there widespread evidence that we have a problem in America with discrimination against Mulsims?” and lamented President Obama’s “refusal to call this for what it is: a war on radical Islam.” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for his part promised to “direct the Department of Defense to destroy ISIS” and to “shut down the broken immigration system that is letting jihadists into our country.”
But if Republican lawmakers were really serious about defeating terrorism, they would take meaningful action to make our country safer rather than touting Islamophobia and demonizing immigrants and refugees. Here are just a few things GOP lawmakers could do right now to help fight terrorism:
- Close the terror gap: From 2000 to 2014, more than 2,000 individuals on the consolidated terror watch list passed a background check and were legally able to purchase a gun. In fact, in 2011, an Al Qaeda leader even encouraged recruits to exploit lax American gun laws to commit acts of terror. Yet, the day after the San Bernardino shooting, the Senate voted 45 to 54 to block an amendment that would close the existing loophole in current gun laws that allows terror suspects to legally purchase guns.
- Authorization for the use of military force: President Obama has laid out an effective strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL. Congressional authorization for the use of military force would create a more durable framework for carrying out the current mission against the Islamic State and fighting terrorism more broadly.
- Eliminate Islamophobia: Donald Trump has been the most outspoken leader spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric. But many other GOP leaders, including other Republican presidential candidates have echoed Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric. Not only is such rhetoric offensive, it can also pose a real threat to our national security. A Pew Research Center study shows that condemnations of Islamophobia can impact average citizens and can be essential in maintaining domestic peace. Additionally, anti-Muslim rhetoric gives voice to the idea that ISIL represents a “clash of civilizations,” rather than conflict with an extremist group.
BOTTOM LINE: The unfolding information about the radicalization of the two San Bernardino attackers is troubling. But instead of facing up to the challenge, GOP presidential candidates and Republican lawmakers are resorting to dangerous political rhetoric instead of taking action on policies that would help keep us safe. Rather than spreading Islamophobia and anti-refugee rhetoric, GOP lawmakers at every level should prioritize meaningful strategies to defeat terrorism.
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