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Rebecca Sheerin
Pittsburgh
The shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC is horrific. But immediately, President Trump seized on this tragedy to escalate his attacks on immigrants because the suspected shooter is an Afghan refugee. Rather than mourn, reassure the public, or wait for facts, he demanded a pause on immigration from all developing nations and threatened to strip U.S. citizenship from naturalized immigrants who "undermine domestic tranquility," or to deport those he calls "non-compatible with Western Civilization" (whatever that means).
This isn't leadership; it's political opportunism. Trump is using one man's crime to inflame, exploit, and energize his base. And the majority of people he targets are people of color--consistent with his history of racism and xenophobia.
If we extend Trump's "logic"--punishing entire groups for the wrongdoing of a single individual--then he should also punish all white men, since they commit most political and mass murders.
Who bombed the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995? Who carried out the 2024 assassination attempt on President Trump? Who murdered Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in 2025? Who murdered Charlie Kirk? Who attempted to kill Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro?
All white men.
Who committed the Columbine massacre? The Sandy Hook murders? The Las Vegas shooting? The Stoneman Douglas High School massacre?
All white men.
If we don't punish all white men for the evil acts of a few, why is it acceptable--or politically useful--to target all non-white refugees for the act of one?