No foreign terrorist could have created more chaos in the U.S. than Donald J. Trump did last week. Throwing executive orders like Molotov cocktails, Trump ended the week with an order for a 90-day ban on immigration from seven Muslim countries, a 120-day suspension of refugee programs and limiting the number of refugees entering the U. S. in 2017 to 50,000.
In 2016, Canada, with little more than 10 percent of the U.S. population, accepted nearly 40,000 refugees fleeing Syria, a country singled out by Trump’s executive order. No U.S. visas will be issued to Syrian nationals and no Syrian refugees will be accepted here.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has, however, invited refugees rejected by the U.S. to settle in Canada. It seems that we must now rely on our humane neighbor to protect our traditional values.
U.S. allies have roundly condemned Trump’s ban while several extremist groups and ISIS fighters have hailed Trump’s order as a victory. In a joint statement, Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain concluded, “Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism.”
What bombs will Trump deliver in Week 2?
MARGARET MERRITT
Center Sandwich