To be clear the attempted assassination of former President Trump is a tragedy that puts us in the same category as some third world country. However, it clearly illustrates the reason why both major political parties need to get a grip on what they are doing to our society. Immediately after the incident House Republicans Mike Collins of Georgia and Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert claimed in the press that President Biden should be arrested and prosecuted for inciting the assassination attempt, because he referred to Donald Trump in a recent speech that "he was a threat to democracy and we need to put him in the bulls eye and defeat him." They lifted the phrase, “Put him in the bull’s eye” as justification for their claim. Sadly, these individuals are so ignorant that they don’t even realize that their rhetoric based on an out of context lie further contributes to the divisive hatred that now exists in this country regarding our presidential candidates, and the subsequent rise in threatened violence towards them.
Additionally, these two individuals seem to forget how 9 months ago Trump mocked Paul Pelosi, the 82 year old husband of House member Nancy Pelosi, who was violently assaulted with a hammer, and how he told jokes about the incident at a political rally to the laughter of his supporters. Trump’s son even posted on social media that the incident occurred because of a sexual encounter gone awry. Joking about violent acts? Or Trump’s speech who some used as a battle cry to storm the Capital over displeasure with the 2020 election, accompanied with the subsequent threatening of Vice President Mike Pence and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Trump still refers to them as ‘patriotic heroes’ and hints at a possible pardon for some who were convicted of crimes over it. Consequently, everyone in both parties needs to drop the blame game agenda.
However, the extent to which this lie-inspired divisiveness has exploded is most recently illustrated by left-leaning The New Republic Magazine which had as its cover an altered picture of Donald Trump resembling Hitler, accompanied by a featured story comparing Donald Trump to Hitler and Fascism.
I am reminded of the old biblical saying, “You reap what you sow.” The press continues to relish and perpetuate the lies spread by each political party about the other presidential candidate. We, as a society, now relish in these lies, use them as battle cries, and internalize them to do whatever we deem necessary to accomplish each party’s desires.
Obviously, we are at a critical point in the societal history of our country. Do we still believe in the democratic process to accomplish goals for the betterment of our society through the voting process, or do we do as third world countries do, take matters into our own hands through violent, destructive acts as we have just witnessed?
And what makes this decision even more overbearing is the continual lies, distortions, and blame games we are fed by our legislators, social media, the press and the present presidential candidates. But, then again maybe what we are witnessing is a genuine desire to elevate political agendas over everything else, including human life. If that is true, I truly feel sorry for my kids and grandkids.
