"The Blame Game?" This is not an article about Kanye's song "Blame Game." But the lyrics are the rules of "the game." The most recent American tragedy is a prime example of the "the game" at play.

The mass shooting in Orlando has been blamed particularly on "radical Islam" (used as a synonym by many Americans for the Muslim community). I want you to think critically about the following questions. Did the entire Muslim community plan the attack at Pulse Nightclub? Did the entire Muslim community supply Omar Mateen, with weapons to use during his assault? Finally, did the entire Muslim community execute the shooting? I hope everyone without a doubt would answer "no," but of course, some people will answer "yes." What we have here, my friends, is the "Blame Game."

You may ask "Why should I care," or "What does this have to do with me?" It has everything to do with you. Here's why: We as a society love to make a group of people responsible for a result of an individual's actions, i.e. the Orlando shooting. I do not identify as Muslim or practice Islam, but I can clearly without a doubt believe that the Muslim community is not responsible for the Orlando shooting, among other incidents in history that HAPPEN to involve people of the same religion. I answered "no" to the previous questions without a problem because you cannot blame an incident on a whole group of people because of one's association. Hopefully, you have already seen the flaw with the "blame game" but if you haven't reached the conclusion that the "blame game" is wrong, I encourage you to keep reading.

July 19th, 2012 was a typical Friday night for moviegoers, but for some ended fatally. At the Century Aurora 16 Multiplex Theater in Aurora, Colorado, James Holmes fatally shot 12 victims and injured 70 other people during the midnight screening of the "The Dark Night Rises." Holmes was found guilty of 165 charges and 12 life sentences (one for each victim) without parole. Here is an example of an act of terrorism, committed by an AMERICAN citizen against other AMERICAN citizens, but for some reason people tend to see this incident differently.

However, both the Orlando and Aurora shootings have commonalities. First, both assailants were AMERICAN citizens, contrary to popular belief. Both men legally purchased firearms used in their attacks. Also, the parents of the shooters didn't believe that their sons were capable of these pre-meditated crimes. Finally, innocent people were killed and injured. Seems like both of these horrific incidents would be classified under "acts of terrorism" but unfortunately, they are not simply because of one's religious affiliation.

Though Mateen pledged ISIS affiliation, ISIS has not taken responsibility for the attack. Ergo, this was an "act of terror" by an individual, like the Aurora shooting. But the real root of the issue is that Omar Mateen is of Afghan descent and Muslim, therefore, automatically associating him with terrorist activity, a common conclusion by many Americans. Why is James Holmes only considered to be mentally ill? Because James Holmes has "white privilege." The following demonstrates image this privilege. America loves to claim that "all men are created equal" but clearly, some groups of people are held to different standards and are able to get away with many things. Sips tea. But that list is exhaustive and would require a separate article to address these issues properly. Simply, that's tea for another day.

Nonetheless, this is how the "blame game" works. An individual, typically one of color, is considered to be the token example for their particular group, whether ethnic, racial or religious. Basically, making their affiliated group responsible for their individual actions. People will argue that this isn't true but I will take this opportunity to enlighten you. Muslim shooters like, Syed Farook (San Bernadino shooter) and Omar Mateen, bear the title of "terrorist" or "radical Islamist" but white mass murderers such as Dylann Roof (the Charleston church shooter), Robert Lewis Dear (Planned Parenthood shooter) and countless others (Columbine shooter, Sandy Hook...) are considered mentally ill. I hope you see the flaw. The white community as a whole is never punished for their members crimes unlike minorities. This is why the "blame game" is wrong.

Mass murderers should be blamed for their crimes instead of their background. All of the shooters I have named are terrorists because they performed terror acts. They are all terrorists regardless of the color of their skin or religion. We as a society need to grasp the concept that the "blame game" is real and needs to end. America has a problem with individual acts of terrorism, not the nation of Islam.