OPINION

Assassination Fixation

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It is beyond distressing to realize that a significant fraction of Democrats profess that it's okay to assassinate a political candidate, namely, Donald Trump. A variety of news anchors, reporters, and rank-and-file Democrats seek to blame Donald Trump himself for assassination attempts on his life. This assertion is absurd beyond reason but is exactly what is happening.

Advocates for Lawless and Societal Breakdown

Even worse, in thinly veiled language, some of these pundits, who should know better, are hinting that perhaps it would be best if Donald Trump were assassinated. At Democrat/progressive/liberal rallies, some participants have signs that state that they want Trump to be killed. This is irresponsibility to the nth degree. 

Do these people fully realize what they are advocating? If Donald Trump or any other political candidate in American life is deemed suitable for assassination, our country as we know it will decompose. 

If Donald Trump were to be assassinated, at the least, it would throw the election into complete turmoil. The response from hardcore advocates on the right would be unpredictable and varied. We could be talking about snipers on rooftops picking off targets. Who knows what such an assassination would unleash on our country? 

A Banana Republic in the Making

The longer view is worse, still. Too often, political assassinations have occurred in banana republics and far-flung places around the world. In truth, we look down upon such societies. We don't count them as viable nations. We see them as unstable, anarchy-ruled countries unworthy of our partnership economically, politically, militarily, intellectually, or otherwise.

The notion that it's okay to assassinate a political candidate with whom you disagree is the essence of what once would have been called un-American activity. From our founding to the present, it generally has been accepted that the assassination of political foes is abhorrent. Abraham Lincoln, unfortunately, took the first fatal bullet among presidents, followed by James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. Others were shot or shot at, but not fatally, including Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and the aforementioned Donald Trump. 

Today, the level of political discourse has devolved to the lowest point that I can recall. During the time of Lincoln, the diatribes about this northern president, who presided over a war where hundreds of thousands were killed and maimed, were as fierce in that era as you can fathom. Today, the invectives are on steroids.

Lies Leading to Character Assassination

Political candidates often say and do whatever it takes to get into office. The Harris campaign has broadcast TV advertisements claiming that Donald Trump will destroy America. They say he is a strong advocate of Project 2025. Yet, he has no relation to Project 2025, has disavowed it, and, by some accounts, hasn't even read it. Sure, the Trump campaign makes TV ads about Harris. Nevertheless, even light research reveals that these ads are rooted in the truth about her.

Despite the irrational claims of so many on the Left that “Donald Trump is Hitler,” the analogy continues. Some say Trump is worse than Hitler, which makes no sense. Among the mentally unstable, such claims could be a rallying cry for his assassination; some of them feel it is their moral duty to kill him. The most recent attempt at Trump's golf course is one example that is all too real.

An even deeper concern is that we are dangerously close to having our republic completely fray at the seams. While each night some anchor or pundit somewhere says that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, not-so-ironically, the reverse is actually true: those making such pronouncements are the threat to democracy.

The World is Watching

As always, the rest of the world is watching us. They pick up our news broadcasts and know what is occurring, often to a greater degree than many Americans here. “What is becoming of America?” they think. “What will happen if the U.S. devolves into a mongrel state?” 

These are not endearing times for our populace, anyone with children or grandchildren, or anyone concerned about our nation's long-term health and viability. Stop with the Hitler comparisons and stop claiming Trump is a threat to democracy. He is not.

Will some Democrat leader step up and say “enough”? We can only hope.