Guns, but no roses

Larry Smith Throughout history, irresponsible rhetoric has frequently overshadowed sound reason. Similarly, immediate gratification has often overpowered consideration of long-term consequences. Against this backdrop, some outcomes are predictable. The recent assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump starkly underscore this unsettling reality. Specifically, pro-gun policies, coupled with extreme political rhetoric, bear significant culpability for increased political violence across the U.S. After high-profile gun-related violence, we almost always hear the tired refrain: “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.” Strangely, that claim has not been repeated, at least to my knowledge, in the wake of the attempts on Mr. Trump’s life. Rather, Trump and his acolytes have focused — very cynically — on the fact that Democrats have accurately pointed out that he is a threat to democracy. While I agree that dangerous speech often leads to dangerous actions, holding Trump accountable for his authoritarian tendencies is not the disease; confronting his authoritarian tendencies is the cure. The political cowardice that facilitates the spread of hate does not exist in a vacuum. It shapes a reality in which potential threats are not neutralized; rather, they are nurtured. When Trump echoes Adolf Hitler in referring to his fellow human beings “poisoning our...