Trump is a threat to the health of the body politic, but assassination is never acceptable
In a brazen display of horrific violence, a young man attempted to kill former President Donald Trump. During a rally last Saturday, July 13th, 2024, the former President was giving a speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, when shots rang out, and the Republican candidate gripped his ear. Secret service agents pulled him to the ground and covered the former President, and several more shots rang out. Before long, the shooter was killed. For the health of the Republic, such violence must be condemned.
No Excuses for Assassins and Assassin Sympathizers
My readers will almost certainly know how I feel about the former President; I think he’s a criminal, a racist, and a massive narcissist who put our nation’s security at risk on a whim. Nonetheless, it is important to reiterate the clear and present danger of inadequately addressing the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. Failing to adequately condemn the reality of such violence, especially when said violence killed a bystander in the crowd, means setting a poor standard not just for this election but also for elections in the future.
As of writing, we know little about the would-be assassin’s motives, but what is clear is that the shooting puts the nation at a crossroads regarding political violence. When the assassination attempt was first reported, and in the time since, I have received messages on both sides of the aisle, with one person demanding I switch my party affiliation as if I was responsible for attempted murder or that Democrats generally tried to kill the former President. Conversely, I have both seen and received several messages and posts by people on the left lamenting that the shooter missed. Both of these approaches are completely useless and are unacceptable.
If we, as a society, permit ourselves to indulge in political violence and celebrate it, we further ensure that it will become acceptable in the future. Biden is 81 and Donald Trump is 78; these two candidates will not be the center of our political world in ten years. What we do here and how we conduct ourselves going forward will necessarily transcend them and their concerns.
Ask yourselves this simple question: Do you want a political environment where people readily wish death on the opposing candidate or not?
The future of our country depends on us answering that question and turning away from violence. Trump is a genuine threat to the well-being of America, but if we wish to be rid of his movement, we can’t adopt their tactics.
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References
Balasmo, Michael, Jim Mustian, Alanna Richer, and Michael Biesecker. 204AD. “Trump Assassination Attempt: What We Know about the Suspect | AP News.” Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-thomas-matthew-crooks-shooter-881581c46c07025898027143fc9132e5 (July 15, 2024).
Harwell, Drew, Naomi Nix, and Cat Zakrzewski. 2024. “Liars and Trolls Overwhelm Social Media after Trump Rally Shooting.” Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/15/social-media-trump-rally-shooting-fake-photos-conspiracies-rnc/ (July 15, 2024).
Johnson, Gene. 2024. “At the Trump Rally, It Was Evening Sun, Songs and Blue Sky. Then Came Bullets, Screams and Blood.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-what-happened-734900d303fcfbf349162047f8059601 (July 15, 2024).
Kelly, Conor. 2022. “It Got Worse: Trump Searched For Nuclear Records.” The Polis. https://medium.com/the-polis/it-got-worse-trump-searched-for-nuclear-records-7228b4d32499 (July 15, 2024).
Kelly, Conor. 2024a. “A Second Trump Term Would Be a Disaster.” The Left Is Right. https://medium.com/the-left-is-right/a-second-trump-term-would-be-a-disaster-e5d1837bc977 (July 15, 2024).
Kelly, Conor. 2024b. “Donald Trump Is Guilty.” The Polis. https://medium.com/the-polis/donald-trump-is-guilty-273a45992a0a (July 15, 2024).
Powell, Michael. 2024. “The Worst Is Not Inevitable.” The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/our-democracy-bruised-not-danger/679015/ (July 15, 2024).
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