Op-Ed

The attempt on candidate Trump’s life yesterday is regrettable on many levels. Speaking as a lifelong U.S. resident, I am no stranger to political violence, both within and outside my own timeline. However, I have become increasingly aware over these past ten years or so of just how violent we, as Americans, truly are. From the post-9/11 bloodlust of the early 2000s to the current climate where mass shootings have become a grotesquely “accepted” part of life, we have all been affected by the insidious spread of hate and unrest here.

When I first began to write this, I thought a reflection on the history of political violence in the U.S. would perhaps grant me some clarity or at least insight into the events of now. But as I embarked on my review, it quickly became clear that it would be much more succinct to identify times when the United States wasn’t embroiled in conflict on some level. It is important to pause and note here that I am perhaps taking a broader brush to the definition of “political violence” than many others would; however, “political violence” is defined as violence perpetrated to achieve political goals, and as such, it is not limited to just what occurs within the confines of our borders.

Was the grand fable of “weapons of mass destruction,” used by the Bush administration to greenlight the invasion of Iraq, not an act of political violence abroad? A singular decision that unilaterally pushed the U.S. into an almost decade-long war, while also widening the divisions at home at an ever-accelerating rate, all for political gain. Or more recently, the events of January 6th, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was stormed, and lives were lost, yet again due to a cruel lie told by the sitting president.

Even excluding the more apparent events, one does not have to look far to see the worship of violence in our culture. On December 14th, 2012, a 20-year-old man walked into Sandy Hook Elementary and murdered twenty children and six adults—all using a semi-automatic rifle. Since Sandy Hook, there have been over 70 mass shootings in the U.S. where three or more people have died. Yet, despite all this tragic loss of life, many of whom were children, we come to a complete deadlock when the topic shifts to any discussion of gun safety legislation.

I want to take a second to reiterate this in plain words because it needs to be simply stated: We are willing to tolerate the routine and unnecessary killing of our populace all because we refuse to limit in any way our possession of objects designed only to kill or harm. Read that a few times, and then tell me with a straight face that this is the stance of a peaceful people.

I could go on, but I am hoping the point is at least lucid—the events of yesterday were abhorrent but should not have surprised anyone. When you foster a culture of violence, it is no wonder when violence is seen as a viable “solution.” I am glad Mr. Trump is okay so that he can know defeat in November. I can only hope that after his many years of hateful and violent rhetoric, this will serve as a sobering reminder that violence is ugly and should never be tolerated or encouraged in a civil society.

What happened needs to be a reminder of where we are as a country and where we want to be. Who we want to be. I think many of us do aspire for peace and harmony; just the path to that is not always clear. I sincerely hope that, if nothing else, this serves as a call for rationality and reason, empathy, and peace.