Life In The Headlights

Normally just another day, July 13 will now go down in the history books. It will forever be remembered as the day a 20-year-old man attempted to kill former President Donald Trump.

The shooter missed his mark with the president but ultimately took the life of a former firefighter, husband and father. He wounded not only the former President but a couple of other attendee's of the rally in Butler, Penn.

An attempt in and of itself is horrific to say the least. The devastation left in the wake of the act has left many traumatized. The shooter's own family among them. He, too, lost his life because of his attempt to kill the former president, and now the reasons why may never be known.

The loss of life, the attempted murder of Donald Trump and the wounding of bystanders would be more than enough to contend with in the days to come, and yet there is more.

Over and over again, there is the "memes" which make comments such as "it was only an ear" or "too bad he missed", or horrible comments about "one more supporter being gone".

It makes me wonder, what is our country coming to? Why would anyone find what happened to be funny? Why would anyone wish more harm had resulted from it? Why would anyone be glad someone lost their life or was injured?

It doesn't matter whether someone is a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, or part of any organization - hatred like that should not be okay. Yes, I said hatred. If you are participating in comments like that you, yourself, are part of the problem.

The rhetoric of this country has got to get better. We have got to stop stirring the pot of hate and work together to make this country the great land it can be. There is nothing wrong with competition in politics. There is, however, something wrong when some are encouraging, cheering on, suggesting, even downright asking for harm to come to another human being for the simple reason that their views don't agree with someone else's.

The jokes, innuendos, downright statements to that fact have got to stop. Everyone wasn't on that roof top. Everyone wasn't in that car, plane, or anywhere near where acts of hatred like this occur. However, they might as well have been there to pull the trigger, throw the stone, shove the knife, set off the bomb - if they are going to be the cheerleader for such heinous acts.

Everyone would do well to imagine your loved one as one of those injured. Your loved one as one of those whose life is cut short. Would it be funny then? Life is so short on a good day, why do we want to hope for it to be even shorter? Why do we want to spend it in hatred and malice?

We all need to think before we speak. Think before we act. Consider the bigger picture. Don't jump on the hate train. Be different. Be kinder. And in all things be better.