February 3, 2017: a day that will forever live in infamy and vague recollection for members of the Bowling Green community. It was a day littered with “alternative facts,” a recently coined term at the time. The greatest alternative fact of all was Kellyanne Conway’s retelling of the Bowling Green Massacre.

One year ago today, Conway referenced the arrests in 2011 of two Iraqi citizens, Mohanad Shareef Hammadi and Waad Ramadan Alwan, after they were caught attempting to send money and weapons to Al Qaeda in Iraq,according to a January 2013 release from the Justice Department.

They were, in fact, indicted on federal terrorism charges and no members of the Bowling Green community were harmed. That is, except me.

While I was not physically hurt by the arrest of these two men, I do get emotional when I think of the entire Bowling Green community rallying behind a questionable cause. It was like Kony 2012 all over again.

And yet, as I meander through the frigid streets of this city, I breathe in the permeating scent of dog food and think to myself, why? Why is no one commemorating the massacre that never was?

There should be intricate banners, over-the-top parades and wild animals chasing each other through the streets. Instead of chaos, however, all I found was an overarching sense of peace and serenity.

It made me sick.

Just the thought of families going to bed not hearing about the fake history of their own city brought tears to my eyes.

But what could I do to get this city back on its feet? Create another sinkhole? Tried it. Set off the security alarms at the opening football game? Been there, done that. Extend a ludicrous lawsuit against the College Heights Herald that endangers the safety of WKU students? President Timothy Caboni already beat me to it.

It’s as if people are tired of getting upset over something that really doesn’t affect them at all. How do we expect to keep President Donald Trump in office forever if we don’t allow his administration to incite fear and hatred into every ounce of our being? 

That’s why, using what limited power I have vested in me as the opinion editor of this publication, I am starting the #remembertonotforgettheBGmassacre. Like any good cause, the name is unnecessarily long and confusing.

So, if you’re a proud American that loves getting upset over nothing, consider sharing this article with the #remembertonotforgettheBGmassacre. 

On a serious note, our federal government has yet to make a clear decision on the fates of thousands of individuals affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, commonly known as “Dreamers.” The deadline to make a decision is March 5, otherwise thousands of dreamers pursuing their own American dreams could be deported.

If you’d like to make a real difference for a legitimate cause, consider making a donation to the International Center of Kentucky. The best way to forget a massacre that never happened is to make a real difference for others in your community.