"The Shooting of Donald Trump - Identity Politics and the Hatred that Ensues"

  

Sydney M. Williams

www.swtottd.blogspot.com

 

Thought of the Day

“The Shooting of Donald Trump – Identity Politics and the Hatred that Ensues”

July 16, 2024

 

“The first reaction to truth is hatred.”

                                                                                                                                Tertullian (160AD-240AD)

                                                                                                                                Early Christian author from Carthage

 

Identity politics have divided us into warring camps. While it is terrible to accept the fact that we live in a time of such hatred, we do. The attempted assassination of Mr. Trump was the most recent and most violent. The intention of those who promoted identity politics may have been well-intentioned, but the consequences have been disastrous. Where division is sown violence is reaped.

 

I write as a conservative. I believe in family, tradition, the rule of law, limited government, free markets, a balanced budget in time of peace, and the freedom to follow one’s dreams, so long as one does no harm to others. I believe that government has a responsibility to keep us safe, our borders secure, to educate youth, and to provide for those unable to care for themselves. As well, we live in a global world; we cannot hide in isolation. Mr. Trump has never been my preference, but he served as a good President – at least in my opinion – for four years, and he did so under circumstances that would have undone most politicians. Elected President in 2016, he was deemed illegitimate by mainstream media and by most Democrats. With the help of a weaponized justice department, he was falsely accused of colluding with the Russians, with investigations interrupting his Administration. Four years later the intelligence community deliberately ignored the fact of Hunter Biden’s laptop, accusing Mr. Trump of being a Putin puppet. While never tarred and feathered, he has been investigated, denigrated, penalized, impeached and indicted. And now some nut has tried to kill him. He has been called a liar, fraudster and a threat to democracy – by those who misuse instruments of democracy to destroy him. Hollywood and social media elites have called for his death. The hypocrisy has been breathtaking, especially by those who inflict division, but then claim it is their desire to unite the country. While most politicians go to Washington and see their wealth increase, Mr. Trump saw his net worth decline by over a billion dollars during his four years as President.

 

Trump derangement syndrome has become pervasive, and hatred for all conservatives has become rampant, including Supreme Court justices. An otherwise respectful reader of my essays wrote recently that they “hope and pray that Thomas and Alito die soon.” What prompts people to write such inflammatory stuff? Why have we come to this place? The individual who pulled the trigger last Saturday was only twenty years old, which means that he would have been twelve when Trump was elected President. He grew up in this stench of Trump hatred. The hypocrisy of the progressive left, as another reader recently wrote, “has been breathtaking.” 

 

I don’t pretend to have answers, but the words and actions of those who despise Mr. Trump have given him a boost toward the November election. Cave quid volunt are words that should guide the far left, rather than the front page of last Sunday’s New York Times opinion page, which is attached. Perhaps Mr. Trump’s display of courage moments after the shot, and the horror most Americans feel at the attempted assassination, will cause a course correction in the identity politics that have come to dominate our lives. I hope so.