Is the United States ready to declare war on ISIS?

On Feb. 11, President Barack Obama proposed an authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, to Congress in order to defeat the terrorist threat ISIS. This prompted many responses from Republicans and Democrats alike.

While the AUMF does not call for ground troops in Iraq or Syria, it does allow the military to respond with special forces as needed to address certain situations.

Both political parties seem to take issue with the proposition, with Democrats believing it could lead to an open-ended war, and Republicans thinking that it is not enough. Many debates have taken place in Washington over the proper response to the terrorist group.

ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has been known across the world for their human rights violations, including kidnapping, murder, rape, and burning people alive.

“(We should) educate them on why religion isn’t a reason for brutality,” Nicole Dicoste, jr., said. “Part of me feels like we should stay out of it, though, and focus on internal affairs.”

Many Americans fear that this war may mirror the endlessness of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan in response to 9/11.

“America should get involved because of the senseless killing and propagandizing of innocent people of all races, cultures, and religions being carried out by ISIS,” Nolan Dewitte, jr., said.

ISIS remains a strong terrorist threat across the world. The goal for ISIS is to take back ancient religious land and to destroy western influences in the region. Their hatred for western ways prove very dangerous not just for the United States, but also for places throughout Europe, as Islamic extremists become more and more active.

The most recent example of this were the terrorist attacks against a French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, who depicted the prophet Muhammad, something forbidden in Islam religion. The ideas of radical Islam have spread throughout the world and unfortunately spread Islamaphobia as well, putting innocents at risk for hate crimes.