On January 27^th, President Trump, signed an order that prevents residents of many major Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria from entering the country. This is the first in Trump’s actions to “Make America great again”. Yeah, make America great again for the uncultured, uneducated southern inbreeds that are too damn stupid and racist to even know what’s going on. This does however affect those Muslim Americans living in our country today. They are already being met with hatred, so this ban isn’t going to help their case at all. I take personal strife with this travel ban because it affects someone very close to me. My best friend/GAE (Gay bae, a synonym that we have created to refer to each other) Muhammad (Talha).

When I first started my jr year of high school I didn’t know many people. I had just transferred to a new school and I didn’t really fit in that much with my new peers. Then I met this magnificent bastard who sat next to me in my English class whose first statement was “I don’t care how you put it. Unova is the one region where everything went to shit.” And so began one of the greatest friendships I have ever had. Talha took me under his wing, because “he saw so much of him in me”. To describe this man in words is impossible. He is the only person who I can turn to when I am on the brink of a mental breakdown, yet the only person who will willingly go skipping down a crowded street in our hometown holding hands and singing a thousand miles. (on many occasions we have been mistaken as a same sex couple, our friendship is so strong that people mistake us for a gay couple. This is friendship goals) I don’t know where I would be without him. We are so in common, except for one thing that I have refused to notice yet everyone else seems to. Talha is a Muslim.

This shocking discovery of hatred first came to light when I began working at my current place of employment. Talha regularly comes in to buy certain items for projects he is working on. When he does we’ll converse, as we go to different schools in state and out of state so our time together is limited. On one occasion, Talha came to purchase an axe handle for some wood he was chopping. After I had helped him with finding what he needed and rang him out, we spent five minutes catching up and acting like complete idiots together. (As is a custom when we are within a thirty foot radius of each other.). After he left, one of our employees of lesser intelegance commented that she “was worried I might be in danger” when she saw us together. I asked her why, and the response she gave mortified me. “He’s one of those towel headed Isis guys, you don’t know if he could have a bomb strapped to him or something.” At which point it became clear to me that although I had somehow been oblivious to this minor difference between us. Those around us, were not.

To group Talha into this generalized cluster of Muslum Americans is a foolish mistake. Trust me, he displays no traits or similarities to those individuals that associate themselves with radical terrorist groups. Where those beasts (members of ISIS) lack any form of sympathy or compassion, Talha is entirely consumed by compassion for others. This man couldn’t bring himself to willingly invoke harm against a defenseless and innocent human being even if he tried to. Because he has more compassion and empathy to even consider doing such a thing. I resent that such a man as he should be faced with disdain, just because of the color of his skin. This is a man who stayed up with me half the night after a traumatic breakup I had in the fall of my freshman year. This is a man who cares so much about other people that it really astounds me. And there are more Talhas out there (BUT THIS ONE IS MINE!!!). They are living in war torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan. Innocent people putting their lives at risk every time they step outside their homes. Falling asleep every night, unsure if they will live to see the morning. Looking for any way possible to get out of these countries and find safety. And our president, the commander and chief of the free world, head of a country that was founded as a safe haven for individuals facing any sort turmoil, has just shut our doors to them.

Are we really going to allow a whole group of people to be ostracized and suffer, for the acts that a select few have taken? Are we really going to generalize and steryotype in this day of age. Saying all Muslams are radical terrorist, is like saying that all catholics are part of the Westboro Baptist Church, or that all African Americans are gun wielding, pants sagging gangbangers. And I know for a fact that both of these statements are untrue. So why the hell should we as a country feel justified to close our doors to entire group of people. Just because we are paranoid. (btw Jet fuel can’t melt steel beams…)