It has been 43 years since the assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan, 56 years since presidential candidate Senator Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down, and almost 61 years since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Sadly, presidential assassinations, however infrequent, are an integral part of American history.
Recently, former President Donald J. Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt.
Unfortunately, after Trump was shot, his allies, rather than issue a call to work with the White House and Democrats to develop and pass meaningful gun control reform legislation, accused President Biden and his supporters of creating a political environment that resulted in the attempt on the former president’s life.
For example, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted on the social platform X, “Someone just tried to ASSASSINATE President Trump. The Democrats and media are to blame for every drop of blood spilled today. For years and years, they have demonized him and his supporters.”
Not quite, Marjorie!
Trump, with your tacit support and encouragement, has been instrumental in creating the hostile and divisive political environment that currently exists in America.
Where was the former president’s concern about political violence when a Trump supporter attacked former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband? After breaking into their home in San Francisco, he savagely beat Pelosi with a hammer, fracturing his skull and nearly killing him.
However, instead of condemning the attack against Pelosi’s then-83-year-old husband, Trump publicly mocked the attack. For example, in a speech at the California Republican Fall Convention, Trump said he “would stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi,” later asking the crowd, “How’s her husband by the way?”
Many in the crowd laughed. Did Trump scold his supporters who laughed? No!
After Trump was shot, former Speaker Pelosi publicly commented,
“I thank God that former President Trump is safe. As we learn more details about this horrifying incident, let us pray that those in attendance at the former president’s rally are unharmed.”
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), “The country is still averaging over one mass shooting per day per year and could break over 500 mass shootings for the fifth year in a row.”
Imagine how the political temperature in America would be lowered if Biden and Trump worked as a united front to bring down gun violence in America.
Unfortunately, it is too late for 3-year-old Ty’ah Settles, who was shot and killed in Southeast, D.C. last May. But not for other potential innocent shooting victims.
May the assassination attempt on Trump force all Americans – including him – to return to civility in our political dialogues and finally stand up to the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Before it’s too late.
