Candidate demands halt to Muslim immigration to U.S.

[PatYoung]

Canyon Clowdus has stirred up controversy in his run for Congress by calling for a halt to Muslim immigration to the United States.

(Definitely in the running for best politician's name.)

[Johnny Slick]

We need to keep the Islams out of Merka! Islamofascoterrorism! Wake up America! I mean Merka!

[MapleLeaf]

The link isn't working for me.

[Canuckistan]

Here's a link to the story.

[Lainie]

Every now and then, I listen to American Family Radio. I'm not sure why -- maybe just to keep an ear on them?

Anyhow, one of the Wildmons (can't remember the first name, not Don/Dan the founder, but I suspect it's his son) said that if it could be shown that X (some number <10) of every 100 Muslim immigrants to the US would become terrorists, his "gut instinct," which he acknowledged was "politically incorrect," would be to stop allowing Muslims into the US.

Apparently non-Muslims are never terrorists.

[MapleLeaf]

If it could be shown, without confusing correlation and causation in any way, and replicated several times over, that 5-10% of any group, BECAUSE they were a member of that group, would commit terrorist actions, I would also support banning them from immigrating.

But that already happens. The U.S. has a list of official terrorist groups.

[dungeondragon18]

Originally Posted by Lainie

Every now and then, I listen to American Family Radio. I'm not sure why -- maybe just to keep an ear on them?

Anyhow, one of the Wildmons (can't remember the first name, not Don/Dan the founder, but I suspect it's his son) said that if it could be shown that X (some number <10) of every 100 Muslim immigrants to the US would become terrorists, his "gut instinct," which he acknowledged was "politically incorrect," would be to stop allowing Muslims into the US.

Apparently non-Muslims are never terrorists.

Except the numbers of Islamic terrorists is almost certainly not as much as even 1% of the total number of Muslims. It's probably closer to 1 or 2 every hundred thousand. And that number's just not high enough for me to consider it justifiable to disallow all Muslims from entering America, especially considering it make actually make the terrorism situation worse, since it would feed the terrorists' sense of persecution.

And of course that's completely ignoring the fact that some of the worst acts of terrorism in the US were commited by American non-Muslims: the Oklahoma City bombing and the KKK are prime examples.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Originally Posted by MapleLeaf

If it could be shown, without confusing correlation and causation in any way, and replicated several times over, that 5-10% of any group, BECAUSE they were a member of that group, would commit terrorist actions, I would also support banning them from immigrating.

Well, I can think of one such group -- close associates of Osama bin Laden. But it is inconceivable to me that any percentage remotely near that could be associated with an ethnic or religious group.

Also, it might be smarter to admit an Al Qaeda soldier and then try to turn him or her into a double-agent.

If Clowdus gets his way, next time one of them want to visit the US on, uh, business, the would-be terrorist will be sure to write down "Christian" (or Jew, or atheist) on the religion fill-in Clowdus apparently proposes to put on the US entry form.

I might point out that the incumbent Republican in the Texas district in question, Mike Conway, plans to run for re-election, and will almost certainly have no difficulty winning. According to an admittedly undersourced Wikipedia article:

He [Conway] was reelected unopposed in 2006 and faced no major-party opposition in 2008; it is very unlikely he will face substantive opposition in the foreseeable future.

[Tarquin Farquart]

So Mexicans are okay then?

[PatYoung]

Originally Posted by Steve Eisenberg

If Clowdus gets his way, next time one of them want to visit the US on, uh, business, the would-be terrorist will be sure to write down "Christian" (or Jew, or atheist) on the religion fill-in Clowdus apparently proposes to put on the US entry form.

You forget, terrorists never lie on immigration forms.

[Tarquin Farquart]

"Is the sole purpose of your visit to overthrow the United States government?"

[PatYoung]

U.S. citizenship applications ask if you are a member of a terrorist organization.

[Tarquin Farquart]

Originally Posted by PatYoung

U.S. citizenship applications ask if you are a member of a terrorist organization.

No, I'm a freedom-fighter.

[PatYoung]

Well all right then.

[jimmy101_again]

Originally Posted by PatYoung

U.S. citizenship applications ask if you are a member of a terrorist organization.

No, I'm a non-traditional combatant.

[Chloe]

Originally Posted by PatYoung

U.S. citizenship applications ask if you are a member of a terrorist organization.

They also ask if you've ever supported the overthrowing of a government by force. So if you were in favor of the war in Iraq, I guess you have to check yes.