Aubrey Anderson | Assistant Opinion Editor

President Trump’s travel ban has started quite the discussion here in America. This executive order will affect an estimated 218 million people. Its purpose is to ban immigration from 7 “Muslim-majority” countries for 3 months, stop the immigration of any refugees for 4 months, and ban the immigration of Syrian refugees indefinitely. Although I understand that President Trump is putting this ban in motion for the wellbeing and protection of the American people, I disagree that it is best for America.

While I do admit that terrorism is something to fear, I feel that banning immigration is not the solution. America, as we know it today, was founded through the immigration of people to a new land, searching for a new life. No one, except the Native American population, can truly say they are not from immigrant descent. So why are we punishing those who only want to do the same as our ancestors? I thought America accepted everyone. I thought we were the melting pot of the world, where anyone is welcome. It appears that the known terrorist population comes from “Muslim-majority” countries but terror comes in every shape and color. Why punish those who are trying to start over, or those who only wish to seek safety from the same people who attack us?

America has forgotten the fact that we were all once immigrants, looking for new opportunities, or fleeing a bad life. We took pride in being the country where anyone could come and start over. What happened to THAT America? Think about the statue of Liberty. She is not just a statue. She is a symbol of the American past. The nation that took pride in the saying: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” Whether the ban is temporary or not, this executive order is transitioning the America of the past to a future I’m not proud of, nor want to be a part of.

Graphic by Dee Friesen