Classes were canceled on Friday for a Virginia county school system due to security threats over a homework assignment. What were the threats? Nothing. A teacher sent an assignment home with the students to copy and translate an Islamic phrase as a part of the education curriculum of world religion. The school received phone calls due to this assignment, and in effect, the school was closed on Friday. The Augustus School Board President commented on the issue as to why school was closed stating that there was no specific threat to students but didn’t elaborate on the safety concerns, as reported by Fox News.
After Trump’s comments were made public about his plan to ban Muslims from the United States this month, the country has gone either anti-Trump or completely fascist. The curriculum included a section on Islam, as the goal was to teach the students about a major world religion. If they students had to copy and translate a phrase in Hebrew, the school probably would not have closed down. So why are people giving in to a man like Trump? The statements he makes and the actions he promises to make are ridiculous. There is a reason why Barack Obama would direct jokes towards him and why talk show hosts try to explain that what he is doing is morally wrong.
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The effect of his policies are affecting our children now. When a school like the one in Augustus county shuts down a whole day of school due to students having to learn about the Islamic religion, this is when we create a new generation of racist, non-tolerant kids. As Hitler directed his campaign at the children of Germany, starting the Hitler Youth to raise a generation of fascist Nazis, the same seems to be starting here. By not standing up to the Muslims in our country, we are not doing any justice. What Trump says is wrong. Muslims are not the source of our problem, nor does Trump have Muslim friends that agree with his policies. Trump spoke on Jimmy Kimmel Live and commented about how his Muslims friends called him after he made his public comments on banning Muslims and that they agreed there was a problem. That just sounds absurd. The Muslim people need a voice, instead of being discriminated against and disrespected.
There was a poem written by Martin Niemöller after the Holocaust about the cowardice of the people of the world as they watched the Jews being taken by the Germans.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
By substituting the religions, races, and people Trump is blaming our struggles and problems on in with the poem's groups of people, we can relate it to what is happening now. Soon any of us will be next, and because no one is standing up now, no one will be able to stand up for you.
