Irish magazine Village is defending the provocative cover of its February issue that pictures President Trump with a bullseye on his head. Worse yet, the image was accompanied by the words “why not” in big, bold letters.
.@lukemcmanus @SiobhanDowling.. @VillageMagIRE are just as edgy. if that is the right word. which it isn't. pic.twitter.com/UCHO07Sjfc
— Luke Clancy (@lukeclancy) February 7, 2017
But the magazine said Tuesday that it’s not encouraging violence of any sort toward the president. Their reasoning? Because there is no question mark after “why not.”
It reads 'WHY NOT'. Then it links to the editorial which duly EXPLAINS WHY NOT https://t.co/YC7rP1GXeL ? would signal equivocation or worse https://t.co/2UJjFU8VDx
— Village Magazine (@VillageMagIRE) February 7, 2017
While the article discussed the act of killing a tyrant, which it wrote “has had support from various philosophers and theologians through the centuries,” they noted that doing so in Trump’s case was “unnecessary and disproportionate.”
“Trump is a fool, he will alienate friends and enrage enemies. He will breach the constitution, illegally enrich himself, fall out with his allies and make evidence-unsupported mistakes,” the article reads before making the moral case for not assassinating the 45th president of the United States.
Their reasoning is that the American public will then be made aware (during his inevitable impeachment or resignation) of the “dangers of allowing power to an intolerant narcissist.” This awareness, the authors state, will bring about change: “institutions will be reformed, progressive policies enshrined and popular opinion inured against ever repeating the Trump mistake.”
“The calculus is clearly against violence, even in the case of Trump,” the Village concludes. “Stick to democracy, rigorously but applied, as necessary, stealthily and aggressively.”
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