By John Q. Hosedrinker When kindergartners are shot, the response is always “thoughts and prayers” and a plea to avoid politicizing the issue. It’s a perplexing scenario that we find ourselves in, unsure of the protocol. Trump, after being defeated at the ballot in 2020, attempted an insurrection and a coup. The systems in place, notably Congressional Republicans and the Supreme Court, have failed to hold him accountable and have even made it easier for the 2024 election to be overturned by Trump and his supporters. We beat him at the ballot box in 2016 by raw votes, and in 2020 through both popular and Electoral College votes.
While it’s essential to reiterate that advocating for bullets is not the solution, it’s evident that we’ve already proven we can defeat Trumpism through ballots. Trump’s malfeasance should be addressed by the criminal justice system. The ones who condone and encourage violence, the perpetrators behind these horrific acts, need to be held responsible. The narrative that some headlines perpetuate, implying alignment between the shooter and Democrats, is misleading and inaccurate.
The bullets that Trumpism provided should be a wake-up call to right-wing extremists who are confused about the process and resort to violence. The system for dealing with Trump should not be reduced to a binary choice between voting and murder. While the shooter’s actions are condemnable, there is indeed a space between murder and casting a vote. The failed efforts to hold accountable those who tried to subvert democracy highlight the justice system’s inadequacies in dealing with anti-American extremists.
It’s undeniable that fascism cannot solely be defeated by voting. Republicans losing in November might result in them refusing to accept the election results. The lack of focus on gun control post-incident and the emphasis on the shooter’s political identity underscore the system’s flaws. The tragic events should not be a platform to blame Democrats, especially when the shooter himself was a registered Republican.
While the shooter’s motivations are still unclear, the underlying anger and frustration that led to such an extreme act should not be ignored. The disdain for politicians who subject our children to such horrors is valid, as the justice system’s impotence in addressing extremism leads to chaos. It’s unsettling how violence seems to take precedence over discourse in our current political climate.
In conclusion, the way to defeat Trumpism must be through ballots, not bullets. The democratic processes in place need to be upheld and protected from those who seek to undermine them. While the tragedies and attacks reflect a broader societal issue, we must not lose sight of the power of our voices in shaping the future. The emphasis on non-violence and the pursuit of justice through legal means should guide us in combating the dangerous ideologies that threaten our democracy. When kindergartners are shot, the response is always “thoughts and prayers” and a plea to avoid politicizing the issue. It’s a perplexing scenario that we find ourselves in, unsure of the protocol. Trump, after being defeated at the ballot in 2020, attempted an insurrection and a coup. The systems in place, notably Congressional Republicans and the Supreme Court, have failed to hold him accountable and have even made it easier for the 2024 election to be overturned by Trump and his supporters. We beat him at the ballot box in 2016 by raw votes, and in 2020 through both popular and Electoral College votes.
While it’s essential to reiterate that advocating for bullets is not the solution, it’s evident that we’ve already proven we can defeat Trumpism through ballots. Trump’s malfeasance should be addressed by the criminal justice system. The ones who condone and encourage violence, the perpetrators behind these horrific acts, need to be held responsible. The narrative that some headlines perpetuate, implying alignment between the shooter and Democrats, is misleading and inaccurate.
The bullets that Trumpism provided should be a wake-up call to right-wing extremists who are confused about the process and resort to violence. The system for dealing with Trump should not be reduced to a binary choice between voting and murder. While the shooter’s actions are condemnable, there is indeed a space between murder and casting a vote. The failed efforts to hold accountable those who tried to subvert democracy highlight the justice system’s inadequacies in dealing with anti-American extremists.
It’s undeniable that fascism cannot solely be defeated by voting. Republicans losing in November might result in them refusing to accept the election results. The lack of focus on gun control post-incident and the emphasis on the shooter’s political identity underscore the system’s flaws. The tragic events should not be a platform to blame Democrats, especially when the shooter himself was a registered Republican.
While the shooter’s motivations are still unclear, the underlying anger and frustration that led to such an extreme act should not be ignored. The disdain for politicians who subject our children to such horrors is valid, as the justice system’s impotence in addressing extremism leads to chaos. It’s unsettling how violence seems to take precedence over discourse in our current political climate.
In conclusion, the way to defeat Trumpism must be through ballots, not bullets. The democratic processes in place need to be upheld and protected from those who seek to undermine them. While the tragedies and attacks reflect a broader societal issue, we must not lose sight of the power of our voices in shaping the future. The emphasis on non-violence and the pursuit of justice through legal means should guide us in combating the dangerous ideologies that threaten our democracy.