Last week we were plagued with another mass shooting. However, this particular tragedy stands out from the other 352 mass shootings that took place this year, in that shortly after Tashfeen Malik and Syed Farook opened fire on the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Malik pledged her loyalty to ISIS via Facebook. The FBI have confirmed that the couple was radicalized “long before the shooting,” though they are unsure whether this could be considered months or years in advance. Republicans have pounced on this event as a chance to promote the necessity of placing ground troops in Iraq and Syria. Many have taken to the idea that this is undeniable proof that the Islamic State is a threat to America and that this is enough provocation to start a war. It’s hard to believe people would so readily embrace a repeat of the Iraq war, but the truth is, that’s the only way Republican candidates have any hope in gaining enough votes to win the 2016 election. Republicans need to convince Americans that we’re at war if they want to have a chance at the presidency.

Starting off this year, it seemed that most of the candidates’ strategies for garnishing votes was to forget everything they learned in 2012. The animosity toward Muslims, Mexicans and the Black Lives Matter movement has only further alienated minority groups (who now make up 30 percent of the total population). They actively reject any gun control laws or regulations, including background checks, which roughly 90 percent of the nation is in agreement on. Rejection of Planned Parenthood has only further exemplified that this is the party for white males out of touch with reality. The only real hope they have is to flesh out their position on affairs overseas. It’s the one position Republicans can hold over Democrats if there are further ISIS-related attacks in America. By making ISIS seem like an enemy nation on par with Nazi Germany, Republicans could make the election a much tighter run. This is why the response surrounding the San Bernardino massacre is so extreme. Despite this being a help center for those with disabilities, we’re treating it like it’s a major attack. This was not a strategically coordinated attack like the Paris bombing in November. Yet Republican candidates are calling for things like the need to start another war in Iraq, a rejection of any incoming refugees or a ban on all Muslims from entering the country.

This has, of course, been the priority ever since the Paris bombing. After Obama’s speech at the Paris Climate talks, the main response from Republicans was that Obama is giving too much priority to global warming and isn’t recognizing the real threat of ISIS. However, we should not be so easily swayed by overinflated speech and feelings of revenge. This is, after all, the only ISIS-related attack that’s happened in America so far, and truthfully it can hardly be called that. ISIS’s real claim to power is its capacity to generate fear through ambiguity. Through irrational fear of all foreigners, ISIS is able to strengthen its grip on people in Muslim countries. If there is a serious terrorist attack, Republicans will gain an upper hand in the 2016 election. However, because there have been none so far, and no guarantee that there will be any in the future, Republicans must create the threat themselves.

letters@chronicle.utah.edu

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