Every Sunday when I was a child, we eagerly awaited the delivery of the Sunday newspaper. It always included a feature with riveting pictures from previous editions.
They were not just a collage of all the pictures from previous editions.
They were selected by the newspaper’s editors thinking not so much on how timely they were at the present, but how timeless they might be going forward.
If that program was still in place today two pictures that most certainly would be selected would be from the 2024 presidential election campaign.
One is of former President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump after an attempted assassination at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
In that surreal picture, Trump is being taken with a bloody hand on a wounded ear, blood on his face, and his other hand raised as a defiant fist from the event stage by Secret Service agents.
Another picture would be from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
In that picture, Trump is standing alone on a stage next to the helmet and bunker coat of Corey Comperatore, who was a volunteer firefighter and Trump supporter who attended the Pennsylvania rally.
Corey died shielding his family from the fusillade that almost killed Trump and seriously wounded two other rally attendees.
Prominently displayed next to Corey’s bunker coat and helmet is an American flag.
Trump appears to be gazing with deep contemplation of and reverence for the memorial for Comperatore.
In deeply divided America, both pictures are generating widely different reactions.
Some Trump detractors claim the assassination was preplanned to generate support for the Trump campaign. They have also implied Trump exiting the stage largely under his own power was done to show a stark contrast to a former opponent who often stumbled and needed assistance while walking.
Some Trump detractors claim the picture of Trump looking at the Comperatore’s memorial was staged for nothing more than to score political points. They question if Trump’s hand on the shoulder of the turnout coat was orchestrated and insincere.
Sadly, a significant number of seriously deranged Trump adversaries have posted messages on social media with messages like “sorry the shooter missed” and “hope he [Trump] is killed the next time.”
I found the vileness and hate in those messages so disturbing I couldn’t read all of them.
Not all those adversaries are radical fringe malcontents.
They also include a wide range of elected officials, celebrities, and political commentators who have regularly characterized and continue to characterize Donald Trump as a Nazi, a neo-Nazi, a fascist, a dictator wanna-be, and an existential threat to America.
Some Trump supporters believe the attempted assassination was a deep state conspiracy.
They maintain the spectacular failure of security at the event was by design.
They also believe constant inflammatory comments from Trump’s many adversaries created an environment where the question on an assassination attempt was not if, but when.
I am not going to engage a debate on the credibility on either side on these deeply held beliefs.
I am more concerned such debate affirms that an alarming and steady decline of civil dialogue in our society is the greatest existential threat to democracy in America.
In today’s intensely polarized political environment, it is considered normal and acceptable to disagree by being viciously disagreeable, to listen only to those who share and affirm that their views are the right views. Worst of all, we expect and accept the practice of demonizing anyone and everyone who doesn’t agree with us on every issue all the time.
We desperately need a renewed national commitment to critical thinking, listening to others, avoiding group think, respect for differing opinions, and acceptance of a system of government where the majority rules, even when that can and does result in public policy decisions that do not have universal agreement.
Much easier said than done.
The underlying reality of where we are as a society is best captured by the cogent observation of veteran political communications consultant Frank Luntz: “It’s not what you say or write, it’s what people hear or read. You can have the best message in the world, but the person on the receiving end will always understand it through the prism of their own emotions, preconceptions, prejudices, and preexisting beliefs.”
In other words – my mind is made up. Don’t try to persuade me otherwise with facts.
When dealing with the deep divisions caused by the issue of slavery and the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand.”
America has been and is a house divided.
If we do not change course soon, we will not stand.
David Reel is a public affairs and public relations consultant who lives in Easton.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Sorry, but the Republican Party has morphed into
the Trump Party. It is that man that has unleashed hate
as a prime time fixture of America. Do not dare try to
both-sides this. Clean your own house and back candidates that have integrity, honor, love for democracy and who have not raped, swindled, lied and cheated. Oh, perhaps not being a felon would be a good start.
reed fawell 3 says
“Do not dare try to both-sides this. Clean your own house and back candidates that have integrity, honor, love for democracy and who have not raped, swindled, lied and cheated. Oh, perhaps not being a felon would be a good start.”
What time and place in history does this remind you attitude remind you of?
Deirdre LaMotte says
How soon one forgets.
As I said, any Party that backs the likes of Trump has severe issues. Sort it out.
I know it’s an embarrassment. Admitting one has a STD is socially and morally more acceptable than supporting that vile man.
Kent Robertson says
Mr Reel gets this 100% right. We should be striving to find common ground, night to win some bloody fight.
I’ve heard it said that people these days are looking for Affirmation not Information. How true.
They don’t seem to understand that the moment personal attacks occur (or are perceived), all real communication ceases. Emotions get ramped up. Unstable people become unhinged.
Without civil discourse, protected by the First Amendment, there is no exchange of ideas. No opportunity to find common ground. When one finds him or herself feeling attacked, the worst thing to do is counter attack. Take the high ground and talk calmly and logically. Agree to disagree.
Don’t fight with pigs. They love it and all you do is get dirty.
I’m a conservative, but I see both sides participating in this ugly rhetoric. Like Mr Reel, I long for the return of civility.
Kate LaMotte says
Agreed.
ALso, Mr. Reel’s interpretation of the photo of Trump with the Comperatore’s gear – “gazing with deep contemplation of and reverence for the memorial for Comperatore” – is mystifying given that Mr. Trump did not bother to call Comperatore’s widow as he was too busy playing golf the next day.
Or maybe it isn’t mystifying — Trump is a showman, and the RNC was nothing if not a show. A show at which principal guests and speakers included wife-beaters and convicted felons as well as garden-variety liars, at which audience participation included the opportunity to physically batter a dummy of the current U.S. president, and at which raffle prizes included an AR-15. Of course there is incivility on both sides, but the Trumplican GOP has led the charge by encouraging death threats, doxxing and violent imagery, and by making criminal acts (ranging from fraud to sexual assault and slander and worse) their norm.
Finally, at this point, the Trumplican GOP plans for the future are so anti-democratic, so damaging to millions of Americans (especially the elderly, children and oh yes, WOMEN) as well as to our economy, our position in the international arena and our planetary health, that maintaining civility in discussing them is perhaps more than can reasonably be expected.
Darrell parsons says
I would like to believe that Trump was sincere in his moment with the uniform of Corey Comperatore. Sadly, I don’t believe is capable of sincerity or compassion. Trump claims that God spared him. Does he really believe that God chose to let the firefighter die while protecting Trump from death? Right after Trump was shot, Biden called him in sympathy. When Biden withdrew from candidacy, Trump piled on, calling Biden names and insulting him in other ways. Sadly for Trump and for the United States, a random person shooting at him is the result of his own hateful and inflammatory rhetoric. That doesn’t excuse the shooting, but it’s unsurprising that it happened. A sincere, compassionate person would have honored the fallen firefighter in a solemn tribute, rather than making it a sideshow of the convention circus. It reminds me of how veterans are honored for 30 seconds at a baseball game between innings – and then ignored while the game goes on.
reed fawell 3 says
What the writer just described is human nature at work, the norm not the exception. The Trump derangement syndrome, is only one of endless syndromes alive, and thriving in the mind of humans throughout history. George W. Bush was hated, so was Clinton, so was Reagan, so was Nixon, so was LBJ, as was Truman, and Roosevelt as all Presidents,, and America is a generous nation, think of the adoration and hate in other nations, Stalin, Hitler, the list is endless, as is the fallen nature of Humankind. The will not be fixed, unless we face it, which a very few religions demand.
Deirdre LaMotte says
You are wrong. Never compare Trump to ANY other President. All others, dispute policy differences which is what democracy is about, have put nation first. Trump would never think of honoring that code; he is incapable and disdainful of anything decent.
Rebecca Ellison says
EXACTLY.
It’s ‘game over’ for your guy Mr. Reel.
And what a relief it will be to have him gone … and rationality allowed to return.
Deborah Wolfe says
Well said. Thank you.
Rebecca Ellison says
oh dear … when I wrote ‘EXACTLY’ as a reply a bit earlier I was referring only to Deirdre LaMotte’s response to Mr. Reel’s article …
I see now that I should have replied directly to her reply. And that, by replying in the ‘comment’ box, I accidentally began a new thread?
To recap, I hold TFG entirely responsible for the last 8 years of painful nonsense and pitting us against each other. He tells a lie, we say you’re lying … boom, suddenly WE are the ones being hostile.
Nope. Once he’s GONE we can get back to ordinary discourse, even ordinary misunderstandings and disagreements.
He has been at fault for the lies and chaos for 8 years … he cannot now wiggle out of that and claim that both sides have been equally wrong. THAT would be a lie.
Paul Rybon says
Look for even more divisive rhetoric from candidate Harris. Far from ‘uniting’ us, it’s the only platform she has.
Rebecca Ellison says
I don’t have to ‘look’ … Vice-President Harris has been an integral part of the exact Biden/Democratic platform which has brought us prosperity and increased fairness for nearly four years now. And not even a whisper of ‘divisive rhetoric’ so far, right?
As the chosen Democratic Candidate for President in the next election she will be continuing with that platform.
Please support your claim or don’t make it.
Mickey Terrone says
Mr. Reel, you wrote “I am not going to engage a debate on the credibility on either side on these deeply held beliefs”. Of course not. That’s because there is no credibility whatsoever for such indefensible conspiracy theories that Trumpites claim. Just as Trump and millions of mindless fanatics still claim the 2020 election was rigged, their lies and delusions have become their truths. And people like you refuse to acknowledge that Republican delusion has taken over for reality because Trump says so. Thus, your sophistry is exposed.
Not to worry, though, Mr.Reel and y’all other Trump diehards, even when Trump loses, the violent revolution will most certainly follow. You know that in Trump’s World of delusion, which is also your world of delusion, it is only by rigging the election that Trump could lose. Trump knows losing this election will be the end of the political and legal road for his evading justice in court(s). He is desperate. He needs more than suporters and voters. He needs accomplices; accomplices who refuse to deal with facts and reality. That is what the Republican Party has devolved into.
He’ll take his case(s) to the Supreme Court after trying to subvert numerous red state electoral votes to throw out the actual results. He’ll rely on friendly red state supreme courts and state legislatures to overturn legitimate vote counts based upon flimsy, unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Meanwhile, his claims themselves will again constitute the fraud. We all know he isn’t man enough to accept the verdict of the people. The question becomes whether or not his supporters and accomplices are willing to make ever more excuses just to force him back into power through revolutionary violence and criminality. We all know Trump expects his supporters and accomplices to break the law to support him. He even claims God wants him back in the White House, and so, his accomplices can claim they’re doing it because God says so.
These are the scenarios that his supporters and accomplices have believed in the past. Y’all knew this but y’all nominated him again anyway, knowing he will refuse to accept the eletion results if he loses. Trying desperately to protect Trump from the justice system, never questioning his deranged claims of being “dictator for a day”, trying Liz Cheney under a military tribunal, repeating one horrendous lie after another are all in a day’s work for Trumpists, as if he is the only person able to save America.
In truth, sir, the only way to save America in 2024, is to denounce Trump and elect Kamala Harris.