Tyrrell: How not to react to terrorism

Eileen Tyrrell
November 7, 2017

On Oct. 31, New York City experienced its worst terror attack since 9/11, when a domestically radicalized Uzbek man drove a van into a bike lane and killed eight civilians.

Since the attack, two markedly different responses emerged: the irrational, frenzied demands of our politicians and the quiet bravery of the civilians they supposedly lead.

The suspect, a man named Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, entered the U.S. in 2010 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV). The program, which acts as a lottery system for potential immigrants, was instituted in 1990. Up until this Halloween, not a single DV immigrant has committed an act of terror. Saipov was the first.

In addition, a 2007 report published by the U.S.Government Accountability Office found “no documented evidence that DV immigrants … posed as a terrorist or other threat.” An additional study done by the Congressional Research Service in 2011 concluded the same.

Yet one of the first statements released by the president (through Twitter, are we surprised?) read as follows: “The terrorist came into our country through what is called the ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Program,’ a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based.” 

And again: “We are fighting hard for Merit Based immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get MUCH tougher (and smarter).” 

This is incorrect not only because the “democrat lottery system” was actually implemented by a bipartisan group of legislators, but also because the chances that you will be killed in a terror attack are about one in 20 million. To put that in perspective, you are more likely to get struck by lightning, hit by an asteroid or killed by your own furniture.

Instead of approaching this tragedy with steadfastness, intelligence and compassion, President Trump is acting as a fearmonger, blaming the false scapegoat of immigration and destabilizing our own justice system by calling for the death penalty via Twitter.

He isn’t the only one; John McCain stated there are “no Miranda rights for somebody who kills Americans,” and Sen. Lindsey Graham called this part of a “religious war.”

I certainly understand the anger behind these accusations and demands, but they do not represent the values this country stands for, and they will do nothing to prevent the next tragedy. Instead, they engender hate and fear of immigrants and a disregard for our justice system.

So let’s not look to the supposed leaders of our country for guidance. Let’s turn instead to the example set by the citizens at ground zero, the people of New York City. They did not cower in fear or raise their voices in hate; they took to the streets to trick-or-treat with their children, to turn out a million strong for the Halloween parade hours after the attack and to run in the largest marathon in the world.

They defied this terror attack in the most ordinary way: by continuing to live their lives.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a news conference Nov. 1 to address the attack.

“The effort was to destruct us, to terrorize us, to scare us, to create mayhem. … And it failed,” Cuomo said. “We will not be deterred. We will not be terrorized. You will not win.”

On Sunday, another mass shooting occurred, this time killing 26 innocent civilians in a church. In responding to this newest tragedy, let’s look not to our politicians, but instead to the people. Let’s follow the example of New York and face these acts of terror not with fear and anger, but with the quiet bravery of everyday life.