Documenting the Trump War on Science: The Muslim and refugee ban is a terrible idea

US president Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, is a terrible idea for many different reasons and has been widely condemned. Banning people due to their refugee status, religion or national origin has no place in a civilized society. while it has been overturned in court, it appears that Trump is going to try again with a new Order.

The purpose of this post isn't to go into the details of the Executive order or to analyse the myriad reasons why it's a terrible idea, but rather to share a detailed cross section of commentary and analysis as to why the ban is a terrible idea for the United States' scientific culture and practice in particular. The main reason is that it curtails the free flow of people and ideas in general and affects the individual lives of many innocent scientists at all career levels.

Below is a selection of readings, in no particular order. While this list isn't meant to be comprehensive, if I've missed something important either in terms of whole issues or particular items, please let me know in the comments or at dupuisj at gmail dot com.

General Commentary

 

Individual Stories & Other Impacts

 

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I fail to see how it’s such a terrible idea to protect the people of the United States from a group of foreigners that don’t hold the same values and ethics that most Americans do. Europe is already seeing the mistake they have made by letting so many undocumented people within their borders. Higher crime rates in Germany and Sweden show how they are a danger to whatever country they migrate to. Not all refugees are terrorist, not even most of them but I’m not willing to take the chance that there would be any among them. If you had a hand full of small candies and one of them was filled with a poison and looked just like the rest of them, would you start eating them? Of course not. You wouldn’t compromise the safety of your body so why would you compromise the safety of your country? They can slip by easy enough already, but if we let in so many undocumented refugees how can we see how many of them have ties with ISIS or any other terrorist organization. I feel terrible for these people that have lived through the destruction of their country by the hands of their own leader, but it is simply too dangerous to let them into our country.

By NHmtsusp17 (not verified) on 22 Feb 2017 #permalink

NHMtsusp17 - You also fail to see the fact that immigration has NOT increased Swedish crime rates", the elementary logic involving refugees being those trying to escape from fanatical ideology rather than perpetuate it, and the obligations of compassion towards those in desperate need.

In short, you fail as a human being, period.

By Pierce R. Butler (not verified) on 22 Feb 2017 #permalink

"They can slip by easy enough already,..."

Umm no, I know the right tries to sell that particular line of crap all the time but it isn't true.

It's always sad to see someone (you, in this case) repeat a long list of talking points that are merely camouflaged statements of dislike of people who are not like you. It is even more sad that, despite the ample evidence that your assertions about Germany and Sweden aren't true, you people continue to repeat them. We in the US are supposed to be better than that.