Other views: ‘The president’s zeal is understandable’

John Moody, Fox News:

“Halloween has lived up to its reputation in New York. Now, there may be a legitimate debate about whether President Trump is unfairly singling out Muslims in his efforts to make America safe. But when a terrorist kills Americans — this time, with a rental truck — and then shouts, ‘God is great’ ... the president’s zeal is understandable. ... ‘Don’t let the terrorists change our life in any shape, manner or form,’ said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. ... Don’t take any extra precautions in how you live your lives. Don’t admit that there are evil people in the world who want to kill you. ... Don’t use that ugly word — war — to describe our conflict with radical Islam. Don’t offend. And don’t defend. It might upset someone. Trick or treat.”

Wajahat Ali, The New York Times:

“I say ‘Allahu akbar’ out loud more than 100 times a day. Tuesday, I uttered it several times during my late-evening prayer. Earlier, during dinner, I said it with my mouth full after biting into my succulent halal chicken kebab. ... I’m 37 years old. In all those years, I, like an overwhelming majority of Muslims, have never uttered ‘Allahu akbar’ before or after committing a violent act. Unfortunately, terrorists ... and their sympathizers, who represent a tiny fraction of Muslims, have. In the public imagination, this has given the phrase meaning that’s impossible to square with what it represents in my daily life.”

Laura Bliss, CityLab:

“When terrorists use guns to kill, public debate turns (ineffectually, it must be said) to gun control. ... Vehicle attacks should be responded to in kind: Cars and trucks should be kept out of places where they can do this much harm. ... New York has closed small patches of its street grid to traffic, but like bollards, this does not equate with comprehensive safety. ... New York could follow cities like Barcelona, Paris, Oslo and Madrid, which are creating more expansive auto-free zones. Banning cars and trucks would not only make acts of vehicular terror far harder to execute, it would ease the quotidian bloodshed of fatal crashes. And then, those walking and riding through their cities would actually be safer.”