The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is an attack on American democracy. Which is pathetically ironic because Trump himself remains an attack on American democracy.
We must denounce the would-be assassin while reminding the nation that making Trump a victim and martyr — roles he loves to play — would do nothing to stop the threat of Trumpism.
Mark Wingfield
Those who are attempting to capitalize on this horrific event by selling pro-Trump T-shirts or quoting passages from Revelation about slaying the beast are equally wrong.
As with everything in Trump world, irony and hypocrisy already are on full display. This assassination attempt was not the fault of “the media” or of Joe Biden or of “the left.” As we know all too well from American history, deranged people do deranged things.
It would be nice to hear Trump supporters fret as much about the hundreds of schoolchildren murdered by the kind of assault weapon used in Saturday’s shooting as are fretting about Trump being targeted. We will say once again, without partisanship, there is no reason for AR-style assault weapons to be available on the open market. These are not “hunting” weapons. They are murder weapons.
If you’re concerned about the attempt on Trump’s life, join us in working to curb easy access to guns in America.
Also, if you’re going to charge Biden or the media with inciting violence, you’d better be prepared to change your tune on January 6. Trump literally held a rally and encouraged his armed followers to march on the Capitol and “stop the steal” which wasn’t really a steal.
Donald Trump — the man who famously said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in New York and no one would care — does not deserve to be shot. Violence is not the answer.
Trump must be defeated at the ballot box. It is only the will of the American people that can send this would-be dictator into exile.
We denounce violence now as before. Bullets are not the answer. Ballots are the answer.
Mark Wingfield serves as executive director and publisher of Baptist News Global. He is the author of Honestly: Telling the Truth About the Bible and Ourselves and Why Churches Need to Talk About Sexuality. His brand-new book is Troubling the Truth and Other Tales from the News.
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