By: Ryan Smith
It’s been just over 100 days since President Trump took office and it’s been anything but smooth sailing. From his non-stop outbursts on social media along with other ridiculous actions, President Trump has been under mass scrutiny.
Passing legislation has been one of the many struggles. Bills are being signed left and right with nothing but major backlash. One of the most notorious attempts to “make America great again,” the travel ban, was immediately met with backlash and for good reason.
The original bill signed on Jan. 27 banned citizens from seven specific countries from entering the United States for 90 days. This also included an indefinite ban on refugees trying to enter the United States from Syria. The original seven countries included Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. To no surprise, the seven countries are predominantly Muslim, further solidifying Trump’s ignorant ideals.
As soon as the bill was signed it was met with mass protest around the country. Due to the backlash on Feb. 2 the Trump administration eased travel ban restrictions for green card holders. The Supreme Court eventually blocked the bill requiring Trump to draft up a new version. On March 6 the new version removed restrictions of entering the U.S. on Iraq, as well as exempted legal U.S. permanent residents and valid visa holders.
The bill is still in limbo, but unfortunately not everyone is on the same side. Thirteen republican-led states have joined together in support of Trump’s ban. The attorney generals of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia joined with the governor of Mississippi to file an advisory brief supporting the ban.
How does this affect us though? Surely the average American citizen has nothing to worry about, right?
Wrong, very wrong. Just take a quick glance around you. On an average day, you are probably fully immersed in a diverse environment. It could be the classroom you sit it, or the place you work at, but there is diversity all around and for good reason.
Colleges such as RIT have had issues getting students and professors back to their campus. A close co-worker of mine was stuck in his home country of Iran, even though he had the proper paperwork. This country was built by immigrants, and for our President to call our country great, but react differently for our core values is a shame.
With this ban we are potentially losing great philosophers, inventors, engineers, artists, scholars, and much more with the restrictions that come attached with it. Not to the mention the potential lives being lost, both young and old, because we are refusing to offer a place of refuge to people in need.
I understand that President Trump, in his eyes, is trying to make America “great” and “safe” again, but how can we call ourselves great when we are refusing people because of mis-informed view on religion? How can we call ourselves great when we are shattering dreams of a hopeful and determined student? How can we call ourselves great when lives are being lost because of our ignorance?
How can we call ourselves great?
Brockport Beat 
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