By portraying Trump as a fascist, we made him the obvious target for shooting | Opinion

Societal symptom

Ours society apparently cannot see the forest for the trees when addressing many significant issues that affect our lives.

We allow televised, political debates before elections with few guidelines. Instead of devoting valuable time solely to addressing how candidates propose to resolve issues facing our country, we watch adults behave unconscionably.

Additionally, social media places inadequate restrictions in allowing political rants by participants with little concern for potential consequences. More troubling, some have allowed views on social issues and political party affiliations to divide families and friendships.

What have we accomplished?

We remain repeatedly faced with relatively unimpressive candidates carrying undesirable baggage.

Although security shortfalls enabled the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, in a polarized political climate, is anyone surprised that someone who is extensively demonized and portrayed as a fascist dictator not deserving of life be targeted for elimination?

Thomas Matthew Crooks may have pulled the trigger, but we provided the ammunition.

Joyce Voschin,

Davie

Poisonous rhetoric

While every decent American should be thankful that former President Donald Trump is okay after the assassination attempt, it should not be forgotten that no one in recent times has rhetorically mainstreamed political violence as much as he has.

From instigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, to mocking a disabled reporter, to propagating conspiracies about the attack on U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, to deeming immigrants as “vermin,” to publicly supporting the Proud Boys, to his stated desire to “lock-up” political opponents, Trump’s rhetoric emboldens the nation’s divisions and has lead to violence.

Ever since descending the golden escalator in 2015 to declare his candidacy, Trump almost single-handedly has unleashed a kind of poison on the American culture. That poison came to threaten him on July 13.

John Ise,

Miami Shores

Pinpointing blame

To speak ill of the dead or of those lucky to be alive is unseemly. However, those who blame the U.S. Secret Service, local police, Democrats and everyone but themselves for recent events, a little history lesson is in order to grasp how a man with a rifle could have gone unnoticed.

When told that those at his Jan. 6, 2021 rally were armed, including with AR-15s, White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified at the January 6 hearings that she overheard ex-President Donald Trump say something to the effect of, “I don’t f---ing care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me. Take the f---ing mags away.”

The “mags” she referred to were gun-detecting magnetometers, not AR-15 magazines. Trump’s arrogant disregard for his safety and that of others, including his security detail and supporters, was prophetic. His dismissal of security protocols because they were not there to hurt him makes recent events much more understandable and almost inevitable.

I never thought I would see the day when assault rifles were acceptable at state houses and political events, but in some areas they are. If some in Florida government get their way, the same will be true here. That is absurdity in the extreme.

There is no blame to go around. Let’s stop pretending there is.

James Woodard,

Palmetto Bay

Too many guns

Why are we so surprised that someone tried to kill Donald Trump?

Every day in the United States, someone kills one or more persons. This can happen in a school, a supermarket, a church, anywhere.

We have to thank our Republican legislators for this. Now, anyone can buy a gun anywhere, anytime. Some parents even make it a gift to their children. Ours is the only nation in the world that has this crazy phenomenon.

Valeria Mastelli,

Key Biscayne

Weight of words

Too bad Donald Trump yelled “Fight! Fight!” after he had been shot. If he had instead said, “Remember me” or something to that effect, everyone would be praising him today.

The accusations from the left that “democracy is at stake,” is such baloney that only ignorant people could believe it. Such statements are what caused the kid to shoot at Trump. Perhaps he really believed he was doing something for the country.

Sergio Masvidal,

Coral Gables

The left’s extremes

In 2016, Donald J. Trump was the natural result of the left’s highly politically correct and anti-America rhetoric. If you demonize the people you disagree with, paint them as racists and oppressors and tell them that any and all of their successes are a result of some unearned “privilege,” they will create a counterrevolution.

Trump was the consequence of their actions and rhetoric. They can’t stop him by weaponizing the justice system or by other more extreme means.

For the last four years, we have heard terms like “MAGA extremists,” or that Trump is a rapist when he has never been convicted of that. We have heard that our democracy is at stake. Their Trump derangement has led us to this place.

Charles Michael Sitero,

Ormond Beach

Trump’s rhetoric

The attempted assassination of former President Trump is deeply troubling. Fortunately, he emerged relatively unharmed. Now, he has a second chance to reflect on his radical and divisive behavior and work toward uniting the country.

However, the image of him being rushed off the stage, fist raised, urging his followers to “Fight,” is a stark reminder of the dangers of inflammatory rhetoric. Almost immediately, social media was flooded with accusations against Democrats, ignoring that Trump himself had previously warned of a “bloodbath” if he lost the election.

In these tumultuous times, it is President Biden who holds the potential to bring our nation together.

Leonor Sanchez,

Kendall

Still the same

The attempted murder of Donald Trump shouldn’t make a dime’s worth of difference as to whether he is competent to again be our president. He decidedly is still not. In his mind, violence is good when perpetrated against his enemies or anyone who disagrees with him.

He is the same now as when he called his MAGA followers to “beat the hell out of” a protester. He is the same guy who mocked the disabled and who opposed legislation to remove semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15 type that was used to fire bullets that came within an inch or two of exploding his skull.

Citizen Trump, should he be elected, will remain the same threat to our security, our safety, our liberty and our future that he has always been.

David Kahn,

Boca Raton

Gun violence

This past weekend, we witnessed the seriousness of gun violence. There was an attempted assassination of the former president, another man died and at least two others were wounded. I grieved for the families affected by this crime. However, I am doubtful the former president realizes his responsibility in this event.

On Jan. 6, 2021, former President Trump urged a crowd to fight to overturn the 2020 election. Some of those individuals who attacked the U.S. Capitol carried guns.

I do not want any person harmed, but seeing the desperation of one individual to harm a politician in an attempt to save democracy is a story we never thought would happen in this century.

Nancy Cogen,

Miami

Photo’s power

I was appalled, although not surprised, that the bloody-faced photo of a U.S. presidential candidate did not make the front page of Sunday’s Miami Herald, as it did all over the world.

This assassination attempt has no place in our democracy and requires our supreme interest to preserve the fundamental principals in which it stands.

What If the attempt had been on President Biden?

Sylvia Viyella,

Coral Gables