As much as I was appalled by the sights and sounds of what the FBI considers an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, sadly, this dark event came as no surprise to me.
Extreme polarization only leads to unfortunate consequences, but I fear that four months before the presidential election we will economize on reflection in favor of political gain.
Tensions at their peak
Throughout my teaching career, there has been one constant in my U.S. history classes. That history is punctuated by the use of violence.
Born out of a war against the mother country, the United States has been involved in many international conflicts, but its domestic history has been just as bloody.
Just think of how many presidents, presidential candidates, or activists have been assassinated or shot. The “greatest democracy” has shed blood too many times.
If I was not surprised yesterday, it is because the incidents have also multiplied in recent years.
An exhaustive list would be too long to reproduce here, but I highlight the attempted kidnapping and assassination of the governor of Michigan, the violent assault on Nancy Pelosi’s husband or the attack on Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kavanaugh.
That the Republican candidate is now being attacked should come as no surprise. In the current climate, no political figure is safe.
The fact that the shooter’s motives are unknown does not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of supporters of both parties.
Republicans point to the media, which are determined to portray Trump as a dictator, while Democrats consider that, through his inflammatory statements and his references to the extreme right, the Republican candidate is the primary architect of his misfortune.
An untenable situation
The climate is unhealthy in the United States. I have repeatedly stressed that I am worried about this democracy, but also about us.
For better, often, and for worse, sometimes, our neighbor is indispensable to us. We are bound by history, culture, economics and security imperatives. Nothing that is happening now is reassuring for us.
One can only hope that the entire political class will call for calm. If we know that the strategists of both parties are already busy trying to exploit the incident, we must hope that they will have the wisdom not to add fuel to the fire.
In the shadows, due to the debate surrounding Joe Biden’s candidacy, Donald Trump is returning to the forefront, now surrounded by victim status.
Starting tomorrow, he will be at the Republican Convention. How will he behave? Will he just address his supporters or will he speak to all of his fellow citizens?
Although I am first and foremost deeply Quebecois, I have never hidden my affection and interest for this country that has been so important in my personal life and my professional activities. I have seen it recover from multiple crises and I keep my fingers crossed that it is still capable of doing so.