Written by James Washington

Tragedy struck our nation on April 15 when two bombs effectively ruined what was normally a joyous event.

Three lives were lost, over 175 others were injured and countless others were affected at the conclusion of the Boston Marathon.

The relief efforts have been enormous, showing how our nation can come together in a time of need.  Unfortunately, the immediate response is also a prime example of how our nation is in desperate need of growth and acceptance.

Shortly after the bombing took place, social media exploded with comments about the bombings.  Many included early speculations that the attackers may have been Muslims.

I have three simple words for America.  Get over it.

The United States is commonly referred to as a “melting pot,” meaning there is a large diversity of races, religions and cultures scattered throughout the country.  Is it really logical to believe that every attack of this nature in our country is planned and/or executed by a Muslim?

Followers of Islam have to live their lives in fear every time there is what is considered a “terrorist” attack in the United States.  I think it is disgusting.

On top of that, it has gotten to the point that any time someone of prominence uses the phrase “war on terror” in this country, the first assumption is that the war is against foreigners, specifically of Middle Eastern or Muslim descent.  This is absolutely wrong.

There were no Muslims involved in the shootings at Columbine High School or Virginia Tech University.  There were no Muslims involved in the shootings in Aurora, Colorado or Newtown, Conn.

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was destroyed in 1995.  One hundred and sixty people lost their lives in the bombing.  There were no Muslims responsible for that either.

I cannot speculate.  Maybe there were Muslims behind the attacks in Boston.  But let’s be cautious; there is another opinion.  Maybe the people responsible had nothing to do with the Islamic religion.

Maybe the attackers were Christians.  Maybe they were Buddhists.  What does the nation do then?  Does the nation choose to single out another religion as wrong or evil?

Singling out an entire religion because of previous occurrences is wrong, shameful and proves that racism and unnecessary hatred still exists in today’s society.  It starts from within.

More wars are waged over religion in this world than over anything else.  It’s about time we take a look at the religions that we are following and use them as a guideline rather than an excuse.

If a Muslim is the first thought that crossed your mind as the culprit behind the bombings, then maybe living in the U.S. has corrupted you as well.