Our Opinion / What the heck is happening here?

Remember the Golden Rule

I was always told the best way to make friends and keep friends was to avoid talking about religion and politics…unfortunately those are the two biggest hot button issues at this particular juncture. We all know what opinions are like -- everyone has one. That’s what letters to the editor are for. I promise I do read them and I do share them with my colleagues.

The state of America continues to worry me. In a land settled by immigrants for immigrants, what would America’s forefathers think about openly dismissing the displaced who seek shelter in a place other than their own war-torn country? Let’s think about this as we set up our nativity scenes. (Granted, in our country’s history each ethnic group has experienced their fair share of discrimination).

What is the American dream built upon, other than starting with nothing, working hard, and making a life in the land of opportunity? Whether or not we pray at the same altar has no relevance in the human game.

Sure, we live in a terrifying time right now. It’s natural to fear the unknown, but one religious group is not to blame. Dear readers, I encourage you to take out your regional scope and examine the events that have been unfolding under our very noses.

A young man suspected of throwing a gasoline-filled 40 oz. bottle through the window of a Somali restaurant in Grand Forks is now in custody. There was nearly $90,000 in damages. A few days prior to that “Nazi-like symbols” appeared on the building’s facade along with the words “go home.” What a strange coincidence. They were either Nazi symbols or the vandal just so happened to have the initials SS. Fortunately, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign the family was able to recoup 10 percent of the damages. I always like to hear a story with one-tenth of a happy ending.

Can we consider this a local act of terrorism or is the suspect too pale in comparison?

A dear friend worked as an advocate for Planned Parenthood here in North Dakota, but found that her name and address were posted in a public pro-life online form shortly after the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs. She found herself faced with threats and now fears for her and her husband’s well-being.

Would we consider that an act of terrorism? According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the definition of terrorism is, “the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal.”

We post and lament how terrifying it is to see imagery of middle eastern children holding assault rifles… or rather how it’s generally terrifying to see said random citizen holding an assault rifle. A high school principal in the area made an executive editorial decision, that a photo of a kid holding what looked like an assault rifle-standing in front of an American flag, with an American flag tank top, would not be allowed in the high school annual, considering the amount of mass shootings within the United States and the fact that there is zero gun tolerance in the school system. The parents wanted his job and considered the withheld photo a threat to their conservative beliefs. It’s not a matter of conservative beliefs being questioned, it’s a matter of tact and a general concern for the student body. Why is this even an issue?

Is it one of Donald Trump’s life lessons from which we are learning? No matter how loud you bark, your point needs to be heard no matter how ridiculous or inflammatory it is? A reality TV star is making an impression in the polls; does this mean that America is looking at this election as some sick, twisted variant of entertainment? We’re not keeping up with the Kardashians here people, we are keeping up with world politics, and real, living, breathing people.

Please stay informed. Please educate yourselves. Please be good to each other… and please remember that this editor’s bark is worse than her bite.