Tag Archives: political violence

The Chickens Have Come Home to Roost

In Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton, he said:

“If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks,” Mr. Trump said as the crowd began to boo. He quickly added: “Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know” – queue July 13th, Butler, PA.

People who love Democracy and hate Donald Trump want him to just go away. They go to sleep at night hoping the twice impeached rapist and convicted felon would just die of a heart attack, stroke, or maybe a domestic “Clue-like” demise (Melania at Mara Lago with a My Pillow).

While millions let out a sigh of relief Saturday, just as many (if not more) were thinking, “A few inches to the left or right and problem solved.” – that’s where we are in this country, and we have Donald Trump to thank for it.

It’s hard to separate the attempt on Trump’s life from the divisive political discourse that coincides with the Trump / MAGA brand. Trump and his MAGA base have ushered in the idea that sometimes violence and retribution are the answer.

In recent years, we’ve seen MAGA members of Congress posing with and filming campaign commercials with the AR-15. Marjorie Taylor Greene created campaign posters of herself posing with an AR-15 and threatening other members of Congress. We’ve seen angry citizens at town halls across America talking about taking up arms because they believe the Trump-based lie that the left stole the 2020 election.

Donald Trump has incited, condoned, and threatened violence throughout both of his candidacies and during his presidency. He has divided our country and pitted Americans against one another by lying and demonizing people along political, racial, and religious lines.

With the help of foreign adversaries, Trump has transformed the Republican party from a party that detested autocracies and dictatorships to a party that aligns with them. Trump continuously heaps accolades on dictators and authoritarians who use violence and retribution on political opponents and suppress dissent and freedom of speech. As we know from former members of Trump’s cabinet, President Trump wondered aloud, “Why not just shoot protestors in the legs?”

All of this is bound to alienate people on both the left and right. Is it any wonder that someone decided to take things into their own hands?

It’s also worth noting that a significant number of Americans connect the right to bear arms with the right to topple a tyrannical government. That message has been marketed and sold with great success – primarily by gun-loving Republicans. It’s a message that taps into our deeply held beliefs around freedom and independence. Combine that message with our lax gun laws and protected access to assault weapons, and you get what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Whether it’s an 18-year-old incel, a deranged congresswoman from Georgia, or a registered Republican from Pennsylvania who saw Donald Trump as an existential threat to Democracy, each views guns and violence as an acceptable way to neutralize threats.

People who live by the sword die by the sword. Trump and his supporters are seeing that Trump’s loose and comfortable affiliation with violence can cut both ways – perhaps that’s what they want?

We’re approaching a tipping point in America, where we must choose between bullets or ballots.