Following two mass shootings that left more than two dozen people dead and more than twice as many injured, countries like Uruguay, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand have issued travel warnings to their citizens thinking of traveling to the United States. The news marks the first time in modern history that such wide-spread warnings have been issued regarding this countries.
Counties are giving travel warnings about traveling to the US!
“Warnings, which are of varying degrees of intensity, have come from a list of countries that include Uruguay, Venezuela, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.” https://t.co/OyVadjNcEl— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) August 9, 2019
In a moment that defines the Trump presidency, he responded to the news during a press gaggle, threatening to “reciprocate” against the countries seeking to protect their citizens from harm due to the mind-boggling number of firearms that are owned by Americans. Instead of using the news as a moment for introspection to consider how he could respond helpfully, he lashed out.
Trump told reporters, according to USA Today:
‘If they did that, we’d just reciprocate. We are a very reciprocal nation with me as the head. When somebody does something negative to us in terms of a country, we do it to them.’
This is how far we've fallen. Foreign governments are issuing travel warnings about visiting the United States. https://t.co/GQTtSsFGbT
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 6, 2019
Warnings have been issued advising travelers to avoid large crowds in the United States and to be wary of traveling for people of certain genders, sexual identities, races, and nationalities. While Trump still refuses to note that the major issue is bigotry and white supremacy, leaders in other countries have had no problem seeing the truth.
‘Amnesty International and a growing list of countries have begun issuing warnings about travel to the United States because of gun violence, including mass shootings over the weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
‘Warnings, which are of varying degrees of intensity, have come from a list of countries that include Uruguay, Venezuela, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.’
Gun violence in America prompts a growing list of countries to issue travel warnings https://t.co/GkJ8hWhK0i
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 6, 2019
The shooter in El Paso, Texas, who killed 20 people and injured many more, left a manifesto declaring his intention to kill immigrants who are “invading” the United States, words used by Trump in support of his immigration policies. However, the shooter didn’t ask anyone for their citizenship papers, making anyone with brown skin a possible target. Countries issuing these travel warnings aren’t levying insults against the U.S., they’re doing what needs to be done to protect their people.
‘In an advisory issued Wednesday, Amnesty International said: “Depending on the traveler’s gender identity, race, country of origin, ethnic background, or sexual orientation, they may be at higher risk of being targeted with gun violence, and should plan accordingly.”
‘Trump did not specify any particular country, or what he might do to retaliate.’
Trump threatens to 'reciprocate' countries that issue travel warnings to US | TheHill – The Hill https://t.co/xefmNXpxU1 pic.twitter.com/yENEtbIIGa
— NewsTreasury (@NewsTreasury) August 10, 2019
Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license
