Violence is Not the Answer to Political Discord

 By Mildred Robertson

The events at the Trump rally on July 13, were unspeakable. There is no reason for a person to fear for his or her life just to participate in the political process. My heart goes out to the families of the folks who suffered injuries or lost their lives. That being said, the violence that landed on Donald Trump's doorstep is simply chickens coming home to roost. From the moment he rode down the golden escalator to declare his presidency, to the day that he was shot, Donald Trump spoke hate and violence to his followers.

He urged his followers to beat up protestors at his rallies and promised to pay their bail. He suggested in an online post that Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, deserved to face the death penalty. He wanted to use the military to shoot peaceful protestors in the street. He called for shoplifters in California to be shot on sight. He mocked former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., with the violent attack her husband Paul suffered during a home invasion last year.

This is not to say that the assassination attempt was justified. It was horrifying! But the fact is that Trump himself has fueled this toxic political environment where one might have to give up his or her life simply for their political beliefs, whether progressive or conservative.

As a North Carolinian, I cannot embark upon this conversation without singling out gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson who just weeks ago called for the extrajudicial killing of people he considered to be enemies of Christian America. This MAGA Republican stated at a rally in North Carolina, “Some folks need killing... It’s a matter of necessity!”

There is a political necessity now. We must take these next three months to learn the platforms of those folks vying for leadership in our local and national communities. We must measure their words against their deeds. We must weigh their political platforms to determine which individuals can move our nation forward, and which will throw us into discord and chaos.

It is unfortunate that an assassin attempted to take the life of a presidential candidate. But what would be more unfortunate would be for the nation to let this travesty distract us from our real challenge.

Every American should become informed about the Republican 2025 platform. Each of us should determine what President Biden stands for. We should seek to understand how the policies he has instituted affect our daily lives. Once informed about the issues that challenge this nation and how various candidates plan to respond to those challenges...THEN WE SHOULD VOTE!

Voting is the proactive response to political discord. VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER.