Make no mistake, this man is solely responsible for his own actions. But I think we can expect to see more of this type of activity in the future. There have been stories of arson attacks on mosques in southern California. Gunshots at mosques in Connecticut. In fact, there have been threats, vandalism, or hate crimes reported by Muslim leaders from Nebraska, Florida, Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, and New York. When Trump and others stand up and talk about Muslims as if they are all guilty of terrorism, this is the kind of behavior we should expect.

As of 2010, there were an estimated 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. That’s about a quarter of the earth’s population. So if more than just a tiny fraction of a percentage of those claiming to be Muslim were actually terrorists, logic would say we should be seeing way more terrorist attacks across the world. Estimates are that there are somewhere between two and seven million Muslims in the US. That’s roughly one to two percent of the population. Yet terrorist attacks are very rare. In fact, looking at the mass shootings and killings in this country shows that Islamic terrorism is extraordinarily rare.

But when people in a position of “leadership” like Donald Trump talk about watching mosques, banning immigration of Muslims, and registering followers of Islam, it sends a very wrong message that all Muslims should be suspected.

Like most Americans, I have Muslim friends and neighbors. The thought of them as terrorists would be laughable if it weren’t so unbelievably offensive. They are people just like me. People trying to raise a family, make a living, and live their lives in peace.

Trump and many in the GOP are toxic to our country. They are dividing us and creating irrational fear. I’m far more likely to die in a car crash or falling while I shower. I’m even more likely to die from a lightning strike than from terrorism.

Terrorism is real and we need to be vigilant. But it is not even close to the most serious issue facing the American public. Let’s keep focused on ALL the important issues and lets select a leader that will lead, not divide!

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/william-celli-mosque-threat