When is too far too far? President Trump has gone way too far when he ordered the denial of entry to all refugees for 120 days and implemented a ban on citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days. Weeks before his election, I had brushed off the idea that President Trump would actually commit to his campaign promise to ban Muslims from entering the country. It was just too absurd in my mind. Never could happen. Well, here I am in 2017 just shaking my head in disbelief. I woke up in the morning to The New York Times mobile alert telling me about the new immigration restrictions. Flabbergasted, I got out of my bed and got onto my computer. I wasn't seeing things; it wasn't a nightmare.

I am still surprised that President Trump made this terrifying step towards closing off America to the world. This nation was founded on the ideals of inclusivity, not exclusivity. President Trump and his supporters tout 9/11 and the San Bernardino shooting as justification for this executive order; however, none of the individuals in either of the devastating terror attacks would have been stopped, detained, or deported. In addition to having dubious reasons behind it, the order prioritizes Christian refugees over Muslim ones. Although not explicitly written as such, President Trump has said that he means for it to favor Christians. This is the complete opposite of the idea of the freedom to practice religion. By favoring one over another, President Trump is endorsing religious discrimination, something our Founding Fathers fled from.

There is something fundamentally wrong a blanket ban like the one President Trump signed that hurts thousands of innocent people. Moderate conservatives like myself need to speak out against this. The United States is the leader of the free world, yet is a terrible role model for the West. Europe and Canada are stepping up to take our mantle, and rightly so. A country that targets immigrants from Muslim countries is a country that needs a check on its values. In the meantime, protests have broken out at airports all around the country and the judgement from the courts are soon to come. Stand up for what is right, not what is easy. Speak now or forever hold your peace.