The President, GOP Are Playing To Our Fears

To The Reader’s Forum:

The president and the Republican Party seem to be deliberately promoting fear of foreigners for personal gain. Since 1857 there have been 15 deadly attacks in the United States where more than 10 people were killed. Yes, only 15 in over 150 years. It is instructive to review these attacks and compare the nationality of the attackers with the countries Mr. Trump has banned immigration from ‘to keep America safe.’

Here are the ten deadliest:

1. The September 11 attacks where 2996 were killed. Fifteen of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt, and one from Lebanon. None of these countries are on Mr. Trump’s list.

2. The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing where 168 were killed. The perpetrator was from Michigan which is not on the list.

3. The Mountain Meadow Massacre in September of 1857 where over 120 were killed. The perpetrators were from the Utah Territory, also not on the list.

4. The Orlando nightclub shooting of 2016 in which 50 people died. The attacker was born in Hyde Park, NY and his parents are Afghans. Afghanistan is not on Mr. Trump’s list.

5. The 1920 Tulsa race riots in which 39 were officially killed with many more deaths likely. The perpetrators were from Oklahoma – not on the list.

6. The Wall Street bombing on September 16,1920 where 38 died. The attack was attributed to Italian anarchists though this was never proven. Italy is not on Mr. Trump’s list.

7. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting where 27 died. The attacker was from Connecticut which is not on the list.

8. The 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times where 21 people died. The attack was by two California iron workers. California is not on the list.

9. The San Bernardino shooting of 2015 where 16 people died. The attackers were US citizens of Pakistani descent. Pakistan was not included on the list of banned countries.

10. The Fort Hood shooting of 2009 where 13 people were killed. The attacker was a US Army officer born in Virginia to Palestinian parents. Neither Virginia nor the Palestinian territories are on the ‘keep us safe’ list.

I find it strange that no one from any of the banned countries was involved in the ten worst terrorist attacks in US history. I also find no one on the list from Mexico yet Mr. Trump feels we need to spend billions to build a wall. I wonder what the real reason is?

Tom Meara

Jamestown