The political rhetoric has got to stop

The second death at the Trump Rally was the shooter who was quickly “neutralized” — shot dead — by the Secret Service.

The FBI has identified 20-year-old Pennsylvanian Thomas Matthew Crooks as being the shooter. He was a registered Republican but he was too young to vote in previous presidential elections. He was 12 when Donald Trump was elected president in 2016 and 16-years-old when Joe Biden was elected president in 2020. He was old enough to vote in this November’s presidential election.

SPIRITUAL BATTLE

What Americans are engaged in is a spiritual battle playing itself out on the political stage and vitriolic rhetoric is fuelling the frustration and increasing the violence — particularly gun violence.

All sides are guilty of ratcheting up the rhetoric — Democrats, Republican, and Independents — by using vitriol and caustic language to enhance their position and undermine their opponent’s. Name calling, belittling, half-truths, truth stretching, and outright lies are used to try and swing every last vote into their column. Fairness and honesty be damned.

As Christians this battle needs to be fought on our knees in prayer, not just at the ballot box. There should be no guns, machetes and clubs in hand.

God cries out from 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If My people who are called by My Name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

His plea is falling on deaf ears and hardened hearts.

“Almighty God, Who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favour and glad to do Thy Will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. SAVE US FROM VIOLENCE, DISCORD, AND CONFUSION; FROM PRIDE AND ARROGANCY, AND FROM EVERY EVIL WAY. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in Thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (1928 BCP Page 36)

“O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace; Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions …”

Our unhappy divisions are great: we are religiously divided, socially divided, regionally divided, racially divided, ethnically divided, linguistically divided, educationally divided, economically divided, sexually divided, and politically divided … The country has become polarized — Red states, Blue states, Purple states; Left Coast, Eastern Seaboard, Fly Over Country; liberal, conservative, moderate; elite, commoner, deplorables; the privileged, middle class, trailer trash …

“Take away all hatred and prejudice (rancor, resentment, bitterness, spite, bias, sarcasm, preconceptions, contempt, malice …) and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly, union and concord …”

POLITICAL PRESIDENTIAL GUN VIOLENCE

Unfortunately political violence directed to presidents or presidential candidates is nothing new. Gun violence has been a part of the political game since 1835 when President Andrew Jackson, a Democrat, was shot at. In all 15 men have faced gun violence either pursuing the Office of President of the United States or having achieved that goal. Five have died.

The first president to be assassinated was Abraham Lincoln in 1865 followed by James a Garfield in 1881 and William McKinley in 1901 and lastly John F. Kennedy in 1963. Three of the four assassinated presidents were Republicans: Lincoln Garfield and McKinley. Kennedy was a Democrat. Baby Boomers remember the assassination of Kennedy for we were still in school at the time as we had not yet started to make our way into the work-a-day world.

The one presidential candidate who was killed in 1968 was President Kennedy’s brother — Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Another presidential candidate, Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace, lived out his life in a wheelchair as a result of an assassination attempt in the spring of 1972. Both men were Democrats.

Saturday (July 13) Donald Trump, running as a Republican, joined the list of former presidents seeking to regain occupancy of the Oval Office to face gun violence. That short list also includes former President Theodore Roosevelt who, in 1912, was seeking to return to the presidency as a third party Progressive candidate when shots rang out. Roosevelt was campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the same city where the 2024 Republican National Convention will be held next week. Roosevelt was shot in the chest and carried that bullet for the rest of his life.

In 1981 President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, was shot and severely wounded but survived the assault.

Six years earlier in 1975, two separate women attempted to assassinate Republican President Gerald Ford. Both attempts failed.

In 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat, was just days away from becoming the longest serving President of the United States when shots rang out. The shot went wild but Chicago Mayor Anton Cermek was hit and killed.

At other times two presidents were in presidential residences when those buildings were attacked by gun violence. In 1950 Harry Truman was living at the Blair House, while repairs were being made on the White House, when the Presidential guest house was attacked. The Democratic president was not hurt but a White House police officer was killed in the assault.

Then in 1994 Democratic President Bill Clinton was in the White House when that executive mansion was assaulted. The President was safe but a bullet did pierce a West Wing window.

Finally Republican President George W. Bush is the only President to be attacked on foreign soil. In 2005 a grenade was launched at Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and President Bush in Tbilisi, the capital city of the Republic of Georgia. The grenade failed to detonate.

The political party of those men who faced assassination attempts through gun violence were mostly evenly split. Seven have been Democrats: John F. Kennedy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy, George C. Wallace, Harry S Truman, Bill Clinton, and Andrew Jackson. Seven have been Republicans: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. One was a third party candidate — Theodore Roosevelt who was seeking to reclaim the White House as a Progressive Party candidate. He originally aligned with the Republican Party.

The religious affiliation of each of the politicians is a mixed bag. Lincoln — unaffiliated; Jackson and Reagan — Presbyterian; McKinley and Bush — Methodist, Ford and Franklin Delano Roosevelt — Episcopalian; Truman and Clinton — Baptist; the Kennedys — Roman Catholic; Garfield — Church of Christ; Teddy Roosevelt — Dutch Reformed; Wallace — a born again Christian who was buried through the Methodist Church; and Trump — identifies as non-denominational but has some ties to the Episcopal Church.

POLITICAL HAY

Prayerfully the political parties, the candidates, nor the media will try to make political hay out of this deadly event.

But it seems like both the Republicans — who focus on Trump — and the Democrats — trying to tap down the political rhetoric — are already cutting and baling political hay.

WHAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING:

Donald Trump Jr.: “He will never stop fighting to save America, no matter what the radical left throws at him.”

Florida US Congressman Matt Gaetz: “FIGHT!”

Missouri US Senator Josh Hawley: “It’s a wonder Donald Trump is alive. Let’s call this what it was. An assassination attempt with at least one innocent bystander murdered.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: “They try to jail him. They try to kill him. It will not work. He is indomitable. Red, White and Blue, LEGEND.”

Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George: “This assassination attempt clearly tells the American people what we are up against. They’ve been trying to stop this one man for the past 8+ years. We are praying for him, and I look forward to nominating him at the RNC on Monday.”

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: “The mainstream media has called it an ‘incident’ and said Trump ‘falls’ at rally. Are they so incompetent that they can’t just tell the truth about what happened? The White House also said Biden had been notified of ‘the incident,’ pointedly not calling it a ‘shooting,’ although it’s unclear whether that’s out of an excess of caution or fear that their party’s outrageous demonizing of Trump as an existential threat to America might have fired up one of their many deranged followers to attempt to assassinate him.”

Georgia US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene: “Democrats wanted this to happen. They’ve wanted Trump gone for years and they’re prepared to do anything to make that happen.”

Ohio US Senator J.D. Vance: “Today is not just some isolated incident. 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.”

Congressional Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “For weeks Democrat leaders have been fueling ludicrous hysteria that Donald Trump winning re-election would be the end of democracy in America. Clearly we’ve seen far left lunatics act on violent rhetoric in the past. This incendiary rhetoric must stop.”

Georgia Congressman Mike Collins: “The Republican district attorney in Butler County, Pennsylvania, should immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination. Joe Biden sent the orders.”

Pennsylvania Congressman Guy Reschenthaler: “My big concern is that this isn’t a one-off and we’re going to see more political violence.”

Former George W. Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove: “A fraction of an inch and he would’ve been dead. To survive that moment and react the way he did, it’s an iconic moment. But what worries me is: Is this one-and-done, or are we entering a period like from 1963 to 1981?”

WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING:

President Joe Biden: “I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally. There’s no place in America for this type of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

Former President Barack Obama: “There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics.”

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country.”

California Congressman Eric Swalwell: “When the time’s right, get back to a spirited debate about the future of the country. But right now, I just want to, in every possible manner, urge my colleagues — because I’m seeing some of the awful things that are being put out there by some of my colleagues trying to ramp up the rhetoric — that is the worst direction to take this country and right now.”

Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez: “Guns have no place at political rallies. Or in elementary schools. Or churches. Or grocery stores. It’s time to stop this madness America.”

Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett: “Violence begets violence, whether directed at Trump or inspired by him. In America, we must make our voices heard by ballots, not bullets.”

Democratic Strategist David Axelrod: “The real question tonight is what are the implications for our country, are we going to pull back or go deeper into division and violence?”

PAUL HARVEY: GOOD DAY

Political commentator Paul Harvey was very prophetic in 1965 when he penned: If I Were the Devil.

“If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee. So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’

To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…’

And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

p4, 2d par “baling political hay.” It’s a hay bale, not bail.

If I were the devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the devil I’d take from those who have, and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

Paul Harvey, good day …

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline

The political rhetoric has got to stop
There are deadly consequences

By Mary Ann Mueller
VOL Special Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
July 15, 2024

An inch or two or maybe three made the difference between Donald Trump having his right upper ear clipped by a bullet or having that bullet embedded in his head as a 20-year-old potential assassin apparently attempted to permanently end Trump’s third presidential campaign.

At least seven bullets flew late Saturday afternoon at a Trump Rally outside of Butler, Pennsylvania. One bullet nicked Trump’s ear but another lethal projectile instantly killed a Trump supporter, while two other rally attendees were shot and critically wounded.