Trump shooting shows we must quell the nation's violence

The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is frightening and appalling. We should live in a nation where such a thing is unthinkable. And yet, sadly, we do not.

It is easy but also imperative to say that political violence has no place in America, and countless elected officials have said that since shots rang out Saturday evening at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. And yet, political violence has been near center stage throughout our nation’s history. Knowing that, one would think our political leaders would be more careful with their rhetoric.

It is vitally important all of us understand that every side of our political divide bears responsibility for the ugly climate that surrounds us. Any extreme talk painting politicians as dangerous or using the imagery of someone as a target is extremely irresponsible. It’s unfortunate that some Republican leaders immediately blamed Democrats for Saturday’s attack, buttressing their case by citing incidents of violence toward Republicans when Democrats also have been frequently targeted. Finger-pointing and blame not only will get us nowhere, they likely will make matters worse. The same is true of embracing conspiracy theories before facts are known.

If intemperate words are fuel for violence, so is our culture of guns. On the same day Trump was shot at, seven people were shot dead and at least nine wounded in two incidents in Birmingham, Alabama. The easy availability and glorification of weapons and militias combined with the social-media normalization of hate — in both our political and national cultures — is a toxic brew. Trump’s 20-year-old shooter was raised in this dark milieu, which has primed the pump for this kind of violence for years. The AR-15-style rifle he carried and the explosive devices found in his car are alarming evidence of a person bent on committing mayhem as a political act.

Apart from trying to understand and treat our national sickness, we must thoroughly examine what seems to be a massive Secret Service and law enforcement failure. It is no secret that presidents and other political figures have always been targets, especially these days. How did Trump’s would-be killer get into position to have a clear shot at him? The investigation must be rigorous and nonpartisan.

Let’s also remember the other victims here — Corey Comperatore, shot dead, and two other rally attendees critically wounded. It is bad enough that running for office means exposing oneself to physical harm. It’s atrocious that an average American cannot go to a political rally without being under threat. In this era of assuming risk at public events, they must be protected, too.

As a nation, we have found ourselves at violence-riven crossroads before. What will we do now? We are grateful that Trump survived and is well. America, however, is not.