Don’t believe the cynics: Most Democrats horrified by assassination attempt on President Trump | Opinion

After the shocking news of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, I received a call from my cousin, who doesn’t support Trump as a politician at all. His tone was very gloomy. “I don’t like Trump, but I don’t want that guy to die!” he told me.

My cousin is not unusual in his feelings about this tragic moment in American history, and while we sometimes have political differences, I know that he, and the majority of Trump-hating voters like him, are not sociopaths who want Trump dead.

In a hyper-partisan environment, where politicians use inflammatory rhetoric and preach to emotional voters that their opponents will bring about the demise of the nation, it’s easy to pick out the worst person on one side and make that person into a symbol of the whole. But a willingness to commit an incredibly evil act like assassinating a president and killing innocent bystanders in the process is not a character flaw that can be imposed on the electorate as a whole.

I am a strong believer in personal responsibility and taking responsibility for one’s actions. The shooter’s decision to take another person’s life was his own choice, regardless of what media he consumed or who he voted for. It took multiple conscious decisions to point a gun at Trump’s head. The idea of ​​shifting all the blame for pulling the gun onto President Joe Biden’s reckless statements or the media’s misrepresentation of Trump runs counter to the mantra of personal responsibility.

I am not a fan of Joe Biden as a politician. I think his policies are full of flaws. I think he is the epitome of corruption in Washington DC and his term as president was disastrous. But I would not wish him death or be happy if he were to face a similar situation to Trump. I think many independents and Republicans would agree. We have allowed narrative-controlling media elites and recklessly attention-seeking bureaucrats to create the impression that the average voter on both sides is far more immoral and divided than they actually are.

We consume content that emphasizes that our enemies must not simply be defeated, but must be defeated in every way possible. It is almost inevitable that the insecure will interpret this as a call to physical action to save our democracy, which they believe is under threat.

We have been coming so close to this for so long, but it only takes one man prepared to die in disgrace to change the trajectory of history.

But I don’t believe that one Pennsylvania man’s murderous desires are the outcome the average Democrat wants. I predict that in the coming days we will be inundated with selective social media propaganda videos from cheerful Democrats praising the trigger-happy monster, or Democrats disappointed that Trump is still alive. Don’t get me wrong, these are being shared to trick you into thinking this is a common sentiment. It’s not.

I don’t expect clearly biased media outlets like CNN to change their tune, but that doesn’t mean the American people have to follow their lead. We can choose a better path.

We have a choice: we can accelerate our revenge, or we can find a way to unite in the recognition that violence in response to political dissent is unacceptable. Thomas Matthew Crookes made his choice and sacrificed his life. Now is the time for us to make that choice. Do not let these terrorists change who we are or how we see each other.

Adam B. Coleman is an author and founder of Wrong Speak Publishing. His work can be found at Adambcoleman.substack.com.

All views expressed in this article are the author’s own.