Love is a wonderful thing. We tell those close to us how important they are, to remind them they’re special. Love makes people feel greater than anything else I have ever witnessed, and nobody can really define what exactly it is. Love is so many things. Love has created memories never to be forgotten, families and friends that stick side by side for years. Love has the power to heal, but also to ability to cause great suffering. Love encourages the rallying around those that have been hurt, it encourages a message of solidarity. Love is all of these things and can have an incredible impact on people and communities.

However, love cannot fix everything wrong with the world. For all the love there is in the world and our communities, it sometimes seems that there is significantly more evil amongst us. Three years before I was born, Timothy McVeigh drove a fertilizer truck to the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and set off an explosion that would devastate the United States as innocent members of the community were taken from the world for no palpable reason. In 2001, Timothy McVeigh was put to death to pay for the heinous crime he committed.

On September 11^th, 2001, two planes flew into the World Trade Center, one crashed into the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed into a field in the middle of Pennsylvania.President George W. Bush took action in retaliation. The United States has been fighting against terror ever since. The response was not to love; it was to kill before we are killed.

We have never loved an oppressive regime into tolerance of those they were once oppressing. Hitler and Mussolini’s rules came to an end through war, as did Stalin’s communist hell that he created in the USSR.

Just recently, a Neo-Nazi slaughtered two people on a train when they stood up for a Muslim citizen that was being verbally assaulted. There was no cry for love. In fact, all I saw was an outcry at President Trump, as if he was responsible.

So why when there is a radical Islamic terror attack almost monthly, do we call for love and understanding? Katy Perry called for complete unity in some sort of odd globalist co-existing utopia idea, which is inconceivable and almost laughable. Sure, people can co-exist, the United States is quite literally the greatest example of co-existence and multiculturalism in the entire world. However, this elitist celebrity, whose home is surrounded by a massive wall, called for open borders. I have heard some pretty terrible things come from an out of touch celebrity, but that one might top the list.

Realistically, love cannot always win and it cannot defeat all. It is wishful thinking that we can love everyone into co-existence, but at the end of the day those that execute children do not belong on this planet. Not everyone can be calmly debated into realizing the error of their ways. It’s hard enough talking politics nowadays. Jihadists that kill our children and other loved ones cannot and will not be talked into changing their world view.

Now, today, terror continues to be a growing issue, and many people are trying to unite through the power of love, as if our community’s unity will defeat the terrorists that are hell-bent on taking down civilized socities. People seem to be more worried about political correctness and global warming than the terror that ISIS is imposing on our allies in Europe. Many of my peers are more concerned about Trump’s “covfefe” tweet than the actual slaughter of children at an Ariana Grande concert.

The problem with this idea is that is not normal. ISIS killed 103 people in the Philippines alone recently and continued to raise their flag in victory. This is an act of war.

I would never call for war, war is horrific. However, so is the murder of innocent people around the world. ISIS is a growing threat, and “love” will not stop them. After a terrorist attack it seems like we have the same foolish cycle every time. Someone starts a hashtag that starts “#PrayFor” and ends with whatever city was just attacked. Enough with the hashtags.

I am simply a college student; I cannot speak for everyone I know, nor even for my family. But I do not think I am alone in being sick and tired of the same rinse and repeat cycle of terror. It begins with the slaughter of innocent civilians, and is promptly followed by a hashtag wishing prayers upon whichever city was attacked this time. Either that night or the next night, some monument or landmark will be lit up with the colors of the country’s flag.

It happened after Americans were attacked at the Boston Marathon.

The same afterManchester

Before that, Orlando.

Similar actions were taken after Paris in 2015 twice, San Bernadino, Brussels, Nice, Munich, London in march, and then again in June. The list seems endless. But no concrete solution to

I could list more, but I think you get the point. Standing in solidarity with fellow humans is an important part of surviving atrocities like the ones I have mentioned. But it is simply bothersome to me that people are calling JUST for love and tolerance. You cannot tolerate what these radicals are doing. The newly elected President of France called the possibility of terrorism “a part of our daily lives”, as if we should submit to terror.

This is not so, we must stand up for our country and our allies. The leaders in our nation and around the world need to actually come up with a plan to attempt to eliminate threats like these.

Love is a magnificent thing. In recent years it has defeated much homophobia and opened the discussion up about mental health. Love has created a wonderful community that I currently live in, in Orlando. Love has given me the opportunity to live a full life. But we cannot love literally everyone, it is simply impossible due to the amount of evil constantly being bred in our world.

Admittedly, I have no plan. I cannot tell you what exactly we should do to eliminate the threat of terror; although to be completely fair, it is not my job. Despite my not knowing of what to do about terror, there are a few things I can guarantee. Our leaders should not be so focused on such nonsensical silly things. We should not be yelling about Kathy Griffin’s disgusting attention-grab. We need to stop worrying about partisan issues that have no real impact.

Stop freaking out over the minimum wage, Trump’s tweets, and party politics. Stop referring back to Obama and talking about Clinton, they are gone. Stop talking about collusion until there is any tangible evidence. Stop talking about microaggressions and bathrooms. There is a real threat to our citizen’s, unlike stupid tweets and “mansplaining”. Stop worrying about fat-shaming and past politicians. Enough is enough, the time for real action is now. People are dying in the streets.

Love cannot protect us from all evils. The time for love has passed, it is time for action from our world leaders.