Letters: Haley, other governors should focus on real threats

I’m glad that our governor and many others are so concerned about our safety that they object to allowing Syrian war refugees into our state.

But have they considered that it would be much easier for a Syrian terrorist to board a plane to America from anywhere in the world than go through a one- to two-year refugee vetting program? For safety’s sake, shouldn’t the protesting governors also ban all air flights into their states in case a terrorist is on board?

The Charleston church, Sandy Hook and Arizona theater shootings were done by American-born white men. Shouldn’t they also ban white men from entering their states? Certainly if they’re concerned about safety, they’ll want stronger laws to protect their citizens from gun violence that kills more than 10,000 Americans every year.

Perhaps we should build a Trump wall, not just in Texas but around our whole country. We can call it Berlin II. That would be a strong statement that unless you’re already in America, we don’t want you here. Maybe Ronald Reagan’s grandson could stand outside it and shout, “America, tear down this wall.”

Many Americans want religion better represented in our government, but this isn’t a religion I understand when a red cup at Starbucks creates more outrage than governors refusing to help human beings in dire need. Maybe we don’t need a physical wall; perhaps we’ve already built it with the hatred in our hearts.

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 1:43 PM.