By Alyssa Sperrazza
The tragic events that took place in Paris on Friday the 13th are inciting talk of declaring a state of war. The attacks themselves hit close to home with many Oklahomans concerning the 1995 bombing of the Federal Murrah Building. With ISIS claiming responsibility for the attacks that took 129 lives, France’s President, Francois Hollande, has stated that ISIS’ acts are a “pitiless” war.
Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature (OIL) Senator Shirey (of NWOSU) is taking ISIS’ attacks very personally and is acting on it.
“My heart ached for them,” said Sen. Shirey. “Coming from Oklahoma, we had the Murrah bombing, I lost family in 9/11. Anytime a massive terrorist attack happens like that my heart aches and it breaks for the people because those people were innocent civilians.”
Though I was too young to remember vividly the day of 9/11, it still hurts when images and videos appear. The attacks in Paris, to me, were a heartless act that cannot go unanswered.
Fortunately, Sen. Shirley is equally outraged and discussed what he believes on how the United States should respond to ISIS.
“…The United States should not stand by and just wait for another terrorist attack to happen or for another innocent civilian, whether it’d be in Iraq, in Syria, in Turkey, in France or anywhere on this globe, be killed or harmed or kidnapped by ISIS,” said Sen. Shirey
There are reports that President Hollande is talking about requesting Article 5 of the NATO Mutual Defense Treaty. This would call for all allies, including the United States, to stand with France against ISIS. If Article 5 is approved, I see no reason why the United States wouldn’t declare war.
The only time Article 5 has been approved was after The United States of America was attacked on 9/11. Turkey called for Article 5 back in 2014 but the request was denied.
The argument over ISIS and who stands with them has been ongoing. With many people saying Muslims are to blame, Senator Shirey discussed his disagreement with that.
“I think that is a very idiotic statement to say,” said Sen. Shirey. “You cannot cover an entire religion with that umbrella; just because one person said something wrong means all of them are wrong.”
I think a lot of Americans are tired of war in the Middle East. For most of my life we have been at war over there. I’m starting to understand what the 30 Years War felt like when I learned about it in school. It’s tiring, expensive, we do lose lives but I feel we must respond strongly to ISIS.
In the world, America is a symbol. We symbolize hope and freedom. We have the most open boarders in the world. We were radical in our ideals that the people decide laws and the people elect leaders. Freedom is for all people, not just the elite. If America is to remain an arsenal of democracy, we must respond and put down
any people or person who threatens that freedom and those ideals.