Trump’s failed assassination attempt: Why are we becoming so intolerant?

KAKALI DAS

What was your initial reaction upon hearing about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump? Did you suspect it might be an election gimmick orchestrated by Trump and his team to influence the elections?

Or did you think that the Republicans’ long-standing support for the gun lobby, despite numerous shootings, had inevitably led to this situation?

Alternatively, did you consider that President Joe Biden might have led the left radicals to a point of violence, and that Donald Trump would now teach them a lesson?

Trump’s failed assassination attempt: Why are we becoming so intolerant? — Trump

Regardless of which reaction you might have had, each reflects a troubling erosion of empathy, humanity, and kindness in our society. It shows how deeply divided we are politically, to the point where we struggle to empathize or feel genuine concern across ideological lines.

A 20-year-old man fired shots at Donald Trump, who was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania. Chaos ensued as loud noises rang out in the crowd. Trump was seen clutching his ear and then quickly ducked down. The Secret Service swiftly formed a human shield around him, ushering him away from the crowd. Before leaving, Trump paused, shouted “fight, fight” with a gesture, and then was safely escorted away.

One person in the crowd was killed, and two others were injured.

Later, on a social media platform, Trump said, “God Bless America,” indicating that he realized what was happening.

Subsequent analysis of the bullet’s trajectory revealed that if Trump had not turned his head to address the people behind him at that precise moment, the bullet that grazed his ear could have struck him fatally in the back of the head.

The FBI is investigating Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old shooter, who, aside from this incident, appears unremarkable. Crooks was a member of a local gun club and worked at a nursing facility. He reportedly drove an hour from his home to the event, allegedly with explosives in his car.

Secret Service agents subsequently shot and killed Crooks after he fired at Trump. Authorities have not yet determined the motive behind Crooks’ attempt to assassinate Trump. Despite being a registered Republican voter, he had also donated $15 to a liberal voter group at one point.

The FBI has been unable to identify any specific ideology, threatening writings, or concerning social media posts from Crooks. He has no prior criminal record. According to public records and his classmates, he was a good student but considered somewhat of a misfit in high school.

The FBI has taken over the investigation and believes Crooks acted alone, without any group affiliation. The shooting is being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism.

So, this 20-year-old had no apparent motive; he had no prior criminal record and was not affiliated with any criminal group. What prompted him to commit this crime?

It’s important to note that the United States has experienced instances of domestic terrorism through presidential assassinations in its history. Notably, Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were assassinated, and Martin Luther King Jr. was also assassinated in 1968.

The New York Times highlights that in previous cases of presidential assassinations, such as those of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., the initial reaction across America was one of shock, grief, and introspection, with conspiracy theories emerging later. However, in this current instance, reactions have been characterized by memes, anger, blame, and even humor. Introspection appears to be absent from the immediate response.

The memes from the liberal side suggest it was staged, coming off as unsympathetic. On the far right, Senator Vance of Ohio, for instance, alleged that Democrats orchestrated this attempted assassination by framing the election as a battle between democracy and fascism.

Laura Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, shared a post on her Instagram account featuring a painting depicting God saving Donald Trump.

Joe Biden has stated that Americans must avoid descending into violence and has urged for a reduction in the political temperature.

But the issue here is that when we step back and consider the event we’re discussing — the attempt to murder a human being regardless of their political views — we realize that our political differences have reached a critical point. This cultural polarization and division between left and right have separated friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues to the extent that we can no longer truly listen to each other.

The radicalization of the internet has aggravated the situation — the trolling, hate, and threats that have now permeated our daily lives. We’re constantly told to become immune to these influences, as if they couldn’t possibly escalate into real violence. However, the persistent threats that infiltrate our minds daily may eventually push someone to commit a violent act in reality.

Moreover, there’s the issue of misinformation and the polarization within our mainstream media, which not only fosters but actually promotes ideas of hate and division instead of striving for empathy and mutual understanding — roles that a responsible media should fulfil but has largely abandoned.

And of course, we must acknowledge that political discourse has become increasingly abrasive and aggressive, devoid of the dignity and decorum it once had. We’ve reached a stage where empathy, shock, or humanity seem impossible to muster if the victim belongs to the opposing side.

This is not limited to America alone; it extends across the world — in the UK, Europe, and India — where our response to events, news, and acts of violence often leans towards assuming, “They probably deserved it.”

Consider, for instance, our response to the assault on Kangana Ranaut by a person in uniform at an airport. Many people in the country found it difficult to empathize because she was on the opposite side of the argument.

Have we reached a juncture where social media, mainstream media, and politics exploit our emotions to the extent that we struggle to genuinely connect with each other on a human level? If America is reflecting on this issue, should we also take a moment to introspect?

Can we pause and question whether the internet has made us less humane than before? Is there a path to recalibrate, to rediscover kindness, humanity, and empathy towards one another?

18-07-2024

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