If We’re Better Than This, Let’s Prove It

Virtually everyone with a conscience was saddened by the shooting of two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses. Assassination attempts on politicians, sadly, are part of our nation’s fabric. During my lifetime, there have been unsuccessful assassination attempts on President Truman, President Ford, President Reagan, and President Trump. There was a successful assassination attempt on President Kennedy. In our history, Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley were all shot dead.

On January 6, 2021, there were rioters at our nation’s Capitol chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.” Congressional leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana was wounded and permanently impaired while playing softball with other congressmen. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was battered with a hammer at his own home. A federal judge’s son was murdered at her home. Some goons conspired to kidnap the Governor of Michigan. The Governor of Pennsylvania had his home firebombed while his whole family was with him.

America is a great country. That said, there have always been those among us who don’t have adequate gray matter to appreciate what we have. Their abuse of our freedom has been, is, and will continue to be our collective burden. Obviously, there is no magic wand to cure this ill.

A good start may be for normal Americans to punish either or both political parties if they propose “my way or the highway” politics that demonize those with whom they disagree. We have the right to speak as we wish, but our words may give license to those I refer to as the bottom one percent.

There are roughly 340 million people in the USA. The bottom one percent are roughly 3.4 million “bottom one percenters.” Estimating that so many people may be prone to violence is admittedly unscientific. It may be high. More frighteningly, it may be way low.

Violence is arguably mankind’s original sin. America, with all its greatness, is not immune. Let’s turn down the temperature. If we are better than this, can’t we show it?