“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I am not blind to my own anger at what is happening to our nation, and so I include myself in this warning about how quickly otherwise immortalized words are forgotten in the heat of the moment.
Think about this. In less than 24 hours after yesterday’s abominable attempt to assassinate the Republican contender for the presidency, we must all now endure intemperate prognostications from every corner about who, what, where, why or how, all without any fact.
For political gain and without evidence, some accused the incumbent for ordering the 20-year-old to carry out the attempt. Others accused the “Left” for inspiring it. Here are some examples:
JD Vance, a Republican contender for vice president and prominent Republican senator, directly blamed the incumbent president, arguing that the rhetoric of his campaign contributed to the attempted assassination. He stated, "The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene also blamed President Joe Biden for the attack, echoing sentiments similar to those of JD Vance, stating that the rhetoric of Biden and the Democrats has incited violence against Trump. Greene criticized the perceived lack of sufficient security and law enforcement response at the rally. Her statements align with a broader Republican narrative that places responsibility on Biden for the political violence.
Vance and MTG seem to overlook direct calls for violence from their own side. For example, have we forgotten North Carolina Lt. Governor Mark Robinson’s church sermon where he declared "some folks need killing" by emphasizing strong measures against perceived threats to American values?
In another example, Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, recently made statements suggesting that the United States is undergoing a "second American Revolution." He emphasized that this revolution could remain "bloodless if the left allows it to be," implying that any violence would be the fault of those opposing their agenda.
For context, his remarks came in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity and were framed as part of a broader conservative effort to "take this country back."
Take the country back from what, I ask?
What seems curiously absent from the blatant incendiary statements are facts and evidence which leads one to conclude that it is simply fuel on a fire that is already burning, and my unsolicited advice is not to fall for the rhetoric and hype heaped upon you regardless from which corner it comes. Insist, at every turn, on some sort of evidence.
We can debate who “started it” in this country like children who get in a playground fight, but this is no playground. It is the real world where bullets and fists are likely to replace reasoned debate, and in the effort to sort out who threw the first punch, we sacrifice reason on the alter of rage.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
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