Following the bombings in Brussels, Belgium on March 22, 2016, there have been numerous comments by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz regarding their responses to terrorist acts and ISIS. The slogan “If you see something, say something™” is owned by the Metropolitan Transport Association (MTA). It is a slogan to remind people to watch out for potential terrorist suspects.
The MTA does not own the rights to “See something; say something.” Voters in the 2016 presidential election need to recognize that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are potential terrorists. Trump has stated that if he were elected president, he would bomb ISIS terrorists and family members of ISIS terrorists. Following the Brussels bombing, Trump has called for torture of suspected terrorist prisoners. These actions by Trump would both be war crimes under international law. Trump wants to become president so he can become a terrorist.
A war crime is an act that constitutes a serious violation of the law of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility.[1] Examples of war crimes include intentionally killing civilians or prisoners, torture, destroying civilian property, taking hostages, perfidy, rape, using child soldiers, pillaging, declaring that no quarter will be given, and using weapons that cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.
Cruz has restated his willingness to ‘carpet bomb” ISIS after the bombings in Brussels. Since carpet bombing ISIS controlled territory would kill civilians and destroy civilian property, Cruz is also supporting war crimes if elected. According to an article by ThinkProgress.org, preliminary investigations of the Paris and Brussels attacks have failed to identify any participants that were not French or Belgium citizens. Cruz has now called for police surveillance of Muslims in the US, which defies the US Constitution. Cruz has said he would put Biblical laws above the Constitution. This is his first concrete example of what that means.
John Kasich is the third Republican candidate for the presidency remaining in the 2016 election. ThinkProgress.org released an article on March 22, 2016 by Emily Atkin titled “How the Presidential Candidates Responded to the Attacks in Belgium.” The ThinkProgress article commended Kasich for his restraint in his statements, as well as those of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
In a statement released Tuesday morning, Ohio Gov. John Kasich said the bombings were “attacks against our very way of life and against the democratic values upon which our political systems have been built.” He called for strengthened alliances with other countries in the wake of the deadly attacks.
As of Tuesday morning, Kasich was the only candidate who did not mention Islam or jihad in his comments denouncing the attacks before it was clear who was responsible for the attacks.
Trump and Cruz represent extreme positions on dealing with terrorism, and have no respect for conducting wars under the rules of international law. Neither Trump or Cruz are worthy of consideration for president if the standard is that the president acts with clear and logical responses to national and international threats. Our votes are a response to the call to action of “See Something; Say Something”. Make sure that your choice considers the moral ground that is the foundation of the US government and its actions.
