Here at the Every Three Weekly, it has been our policy not to taint our coverage of the news with our own opinions. In our stories of awkward human interactions, goofy professors, or social irresponsibility, we let the facts speak for themselves regardless of our own personal agendas. However, following the terrorist attacks that occurred in France earlier this week, we can no longer stay quiet. Terrorism is an atrocity, one that should no longer be permitted by our government and society.
It has been fourteen years since the towers fell on September 11th, yet terrorism is still happening all over the world. Sure, our leaders talk the talk. But it’s time to walk the walk. We demand action. “Terrorism is wrong. Let’s not kill each other,” they emptily say, pandering for votes. But how many lives need to be lost before our politicians in Washington finally turn their words into actions and illegalize terrorism once and for all?
A cynical reader may call us dreamers, citing the partisan difficulties of making terrorism illegal. These doubters may agree that terrorism is bad, and through citing excessive campaign sending and lobbyists running rampant on Capitol Hill, they will claim that Congress is simply too beholden to special interests to create real and lasting change on the issue of terrorism. We at the Every Three Weekly assert that this skepticism is part of the problem, rather than the solution. To stand idly by while terrorists run around terrorizing is not only unconscionable, but it is also wrong.
As Vladimir Putin once said, “terrorism has no nationality or religion.” If our supposed “leaders” in Washington took the same approach, terrorism may have been a thing of the past, like in Putin’s Russia. Unfortunately, our craven politicians have not done so, and instead of facing the real issues at hand, they focus on partisan politics and insider interests. Members of both parties need to come together as one voice to create the change we deserve.
As Putin said, terrorism is neither a white nor black issue; neither a Christian nor Muslim issue; neither a Democrat nor Republican issue. As a nation, we must join together and not ask, but demand that our political leaders set aside the same old Washington rhetoric and solve terrorism once and for all.