The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump this week by a young gunman whose motives remain unclear has sent a ripple through U.S. society, and may have serious repercussions for the U.S. elections this fall.
Call it fallout or a moment of reflection, the attempted assassination is the crystallization of extreme polarity in our ally to the south, with dangerous rhetoric ramping up over the past several months as the 2024 election cycle revved up.
It may also serve as a moment of reflection on the prevalence of military grade weapons in U.S society and gun culture south of the border in general, but let’s face it– if multiple school shootings and mass shootings over the past decade haven’t brought about a moment of clarity on that score yet then likely this won’t do it either.
Putting that aside, this is not the first time the U.S. has resorted to this type of political violence. The murders of former presidents Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley and John Kennedy, and the near murder of Ronald Reagan. can easily attest to this. Add in the politically motivated murders of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, and numerous other less heralded political personages but still significant figures for good measure, and you start to get the picture.
When Americans start to fundamentally disagree in times of extreme social polarity, they are just as likely to reach for their holsters as the election ballot.
It is good Donald Trump survived this recent attempt as the fallout had he died would have been even more extreme. And it seems the attempted assassination has had a sobering effect on both sides of the Republican/Democrat political divide in the U.S., with calls for toning down the rhetoric and more respectful debate echoing loudly through the corridors of power.
Trump also acted bravely despite the attempt, raising his fist to show he was alright in the immediate aftermath.
Now, the only question is: Will the lesson sink in? When parties seek to divide in order to win elections instead of unite, no good can come of it. And more immediately, can we also take this lesson to heart here in Canada? Polarization isn’t merely a U.S. problem, we have our own problems here as well on that score.
I guess we will see what comes, and pray that those of good heart and intent will prevail in these toxic times.
