While I was in grade school when John F Kennedy was assassinated, That began the formulation of two things, one, my lifelong concern with our nation's unhealthy relationship with guns. The second was my interest politics as a vehicle for public service. Other countries took up guns to force change in government, but we were a democracy and we were better than that.
The Assassination of Martin Luther King and soon after, Robert F Kennedy ended the campaign of my candidate of choice that year. But we would see more. In 1972 George Wallace would be paralyzed by an assassin. I was no fan of Wallace, his brand of bigotry was loud. It was Hateful, and I recall some were saying he got what he deserved. Wallace was a changed man by his near life brush with death and he went in to make public amends for his racial hate speeches. His transformation was such that he subsequently ran for Governor of Alabama again and won, with a significant amount of black vote because his contrition was seen as real.
That would no be the last attempt there was the Reagan attempt that he survived. Through it all, every single one of these saddened me greatly because I felt they were an affront on the rule of the ballot box. We were a democracy and this was not the peaceful way power in this country was intended to be transfered.
But clearly, even within the failures of each one of theses instances, there remained a belief that we were better, We had it right - we were a Democratic Republic. We did peaceful transfers of power at election time.
2020 robbed us of that. status. Not because the election was flawed, but because people repeated lie after lie and some cable networks carried these lies until massive numbers of people bought. the lie.
We almost did not. get it right, But it. took a squashed insurrection to overcome the false beliefs
that lead to violence at the Capital on January 6th.
Even in recent weeks, Donald Trump has said if he does not win in 24, there will be a bloodbath across America. Such language is unbecoming of a candidate for President in this country. It is this and the nearly four years of lies and calling out Hillary Clinton and Biden and a litany of others. The talk of executing former Joint Chiefs of Staff John Milly and Congresswoman Liz Cheney are classic examples of a continuation violent rhetoric that. is in no way presidential.
Trumps close brush with death is yet another. sad failure to embrace all that Democracy stands for.
I am glad that. he survived the attack. I say that. as a person of empathy who believes his death would be tragic. But. I believe he has plenty of blame to answer for.
When Congressman Steve Scalise, who himself survived an attack from a gunman, castigated democrats as responsible for this for campaigning that. Democracy was threatened this election should know better than to suggest that there is no culpably on republicans or even Trump himself.
The multiple suggestions that there will be a blood bath if we does not win, and calling out public officials and calling for their execution and saying his campaign is about retribution is exactly the reason he represents a threat to democracy.
I recall praying for Scalise when he was shot and his condition was touch and go. I'm praying for him not to stop fanning the fire. Phoebe Starr. Thank you for taking humanities side. It's the side that matters.
