Shooting Attempt on Trump was a Tragedy

Watching the June 27 presidential debate in my family room.

Republicans who call on Democrats to tone down the “danger to democracy” rhetoric have a point.

But, let’s be a bit careful, there, too. Hyperbole has a place in our politics, and if the rhetoric used by the left to describe Donald Trump is sometimes too hot, well, it’s often pretty cool compared to what Trump and Trump supporters state.

But first—to be clear, an attempted assassination of an American political figure (and any political figure in any country that at least approximates democratic governance) is terrible and a tragedy. Even those of us who want Trump defeated should not seek nor call for a violent end to his political ambitions.

Bullets and ballots don’t mix well, and in this country, in all of the democratic countries of the world, violent rhetoric should never be an excuse for literal violence.

Our crazy, overheated, hyperbolic political strife has boiled over thanks to the actions of a man in Pennsylvania. Did he act alone? Did the Secret Service act correctly? I do not want to speculate. I will wait for answers.

But violence has too often invaded our politics of late—from both the right and the left. Let’s not forget that Jan. 6, 2021, represented a violent attempt to overturn an election.

I’m very grateful that the assassination attempt against Donald Trump failed. I hope we don’t see others like it aimed at either Trump or Biden or, for that matter, Nancy Pelosci, Gabby Giffords, Steve Scalise or any other elected public official or candidate.

Fourth of July fireworks (on evening of July 3) in Marion Iowa. The "bombs bursting in air" in our National Anthem were aimed at a foreign power, not at other Americans.As Benjamin Franklin supposedly said, we'll have a republic--if we can keep it.

It's constitutional, we have a legal right and even an ethical obligation to "petition the government for a redress of grievances." And petitions can be a bit loud and rowdy and still be legit. But, please, no more guns for political points.

We established a government of the people and by the people more than 200 years ago and anybody gunning for a candidate, former elected official or elected official is attacking the basis of a government that we all own. Yes, I understand that our country was founded in an armed rebellion against a king—but we are wrong if we think our strident political disagreements of today call for continuing armed rebellion. Against whom? We the people? Neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden is King George.

2024 was already a messed-up election year. Like, I suspect, a lot of American voters, I’m not pleased with the choices put forward by either major political party this year (and no, the major third-party alternative this year is not a viable alternative). I do not want another chaotic four years for Trump in office. I worry that Biden is not physically up to another four years. I wish both parties had passed the baton on to newer leaders.

And maybe Joe will still get in his right mind and pull the plug on his ambitions, despite all signs to the contrary. With the assassination attempt and the convention opening today, it is too late, but I almost wish that there had been a grand bargain between both old men—for the good of the country, let’s step aside.

Well, too bad that can't happen (and really, couldn't given the alpha male personas of both men).

I had planned in June to watch the presidential debate and immediately blog about it. But afterwards, I was in such a funk that I had nothing to say. While I think the moderators did OK given the format, the candidates were both different kinds of nightmares.

I am a “never Trump” fellow—his first term and his actions as his term came to close, proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt he should never be in power again. So, it was very discouraging to see old Joe Biden, slack mouthed, verbally struggling in the debate as Trump spouted nonsense and lies. President Biden was never the best of speakers, and the debate alone is not the full story or his presidency, but still, he was there with his flaws for us all to see. And most of us wanted him to realize that his time has passed.

Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who moderated CNN's debate.

Anyway, I think there are deep problems in our democracy, but we must fix this plane while we are flying in it. And one point about that plane that we should agree on—messed up as it is, no one individual has the right to shoot it down. Yes, I want all kind of reforms to make our democracy more effective. No, I don’t think it’s so defective that shooting anybody to “fix” it makes any sense.

Glad you were only injured, and not badly, Mr. Trump. I do sincerely wish to see you defeated. Yet, I sincerely also don’t wish to see you harmed.

And in the meantime, in his own slow, feeble way, Joe Biden was right when he spoke July 14. Violence should have no place in American politics. We need to disagree, yet preserve the capacity to still talk with each other.

On that, I hope, most of use can agree.

What Is Missing in Trump’s Prayers

From Facebook, image on CNN posted by Dennis Stouse: Victims of Maryland shooting.

On Facebook, I saw a former student post a meme from “Occupy Democrats” that stated “President Trump has blood on his hands.” I reposted it, because I liked what the former student had written, but sadly just got the meme.

For the record, I think that meme goes too far. I don’t think President Trump is to blame for the tragedy in Maryland. But I don’t think he’s innocent, either.

Starting in his campaign, our current president has carried on a Republican tradition of using news media as a punching bag. It’s useful to note that was also the approach of President Nixon, who initiated so many political strategies that have both benefited the modern Republican party and hurt our democracy—the new southern strategy, the crude emphasis on “law and order,” the win-at-all-costs ethos that isn’t unique to Nixon among politicians, but that certainly in his case went a few evil and illegal steps too far.

And, just as global warming doesn’t cause every hurricane, President Trump doesn’t cause all acts of violence against journalists. Then again, hurricanes are more powerful and more numerous due to climate change—so it’s not an error to think that action to mitigate global warming might be a good idea in the aftermath of a hurricane (or, honestly, why wait—in the before math, too).

So it is with Trump. His hectoring of journalists at weird Trump campaign-style rallies, his penning them in and singling them out, his insistence on lies and calling media “fake” because they don’t accept his clearly non-factual statements—the drumbeat of “they are the enemies” is bound to have an impact.

That impact is not direct to the Maryland shootings, I’ll accept that. But I also just read Katy Tur’s book on the 2016 campaign. The level of hostility towards reporters encouraged by The Donald is horrifying to read about.

March 14, 2016 cartoon by Gary Varnel of The Indianapolis Star. From editorialcartoonists.com, the web site of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists Sadly, still true today.

The front page of the Capital Gazette today was tragic to see. Go to their web site for profiles of Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara, Wendi Winters and Rebecca Smith. They were members of a shrinking class in America—most were professional writers toiling to bring the best version of truth that they could obtain to their readers.

Image from Newseum.org.

They weren’t fake. They weren’t enemies of the American people. They should not have been targets of anybody’s wrath.

I do feel a heavy heart today. Talented, bright people who labored in service of others—that’s what most newspaper journalists do—were gunned down. The tribe has lost some talented souls.

No, President Trump is not directly to blame. But his responses have been tepid and timid. He tweeted “thoughts and prayers,” which seems like political code for “I don’t take any responsibility and wont’ take any action,” and thanked the first responders. Well, OK—thank you first responders. But there was no recognition of the victims as journalists. And he ignored reporters’ requests for comment during a walk-by photo op.

Of all people, Sarah Huckabee Sanders did better. She tweeted that a “violent attack on innocent journalists doing their job is an attack on every American.” Sarah, can you talk to your boss about that?

Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, also did better. His tweet about the shooting was: “Journalists tell the stories of our communities, protect democracy & often put their lives on the line to do their jobs.”

It would have been nice to have our president echo ideas like those. But his anti-media bias is too deep, and I can draw only one conclusion.

The great enemy of the American people and of democracy? His name is Donald.