It's time to temper political passions

The attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally Saturday was unsettling because for a long time now we’ve seen how emotions have been running too high in political rhetoric.

We haven’t kept perspective on where political ideology fits in relation to other important things in our life, like relationships. We’re losing the ability to politely disagree with each other on issues and policy, and still maintain friendships. There’s so much animosity directed at the other side, rather than simple disagreements.

The real travesty of Saturday’s incident is the loss of firefighter’s Corey Comperatore’s life, and critical injuries to two other bystanders. We all should be allowed to support the candidate of our choice without fear of harm.

At this writing there isn’t evidence that political motives were in the mind of the troubled young man who fired the shots. We may never know.

But, still, the incident can serve as a reality check. It’s a chance to take a deep breath and consider how we behave toward one another. It’s simply not a healthy environment, and hasn’t been for a while now.

When President Biden addressed the nation Sunday night from the Oval Office, he asked Americans “to take a step back” and to “lower the temperature” of our political discourse.

My wife Deb has personal experience of how toxic things have become. Riding in the Union County Democrats entry in the Fourth of July parade in Creston, normally a day of relaxing and family fun, one of the candy suckers tossed from the bed of the pickup to curbside children was thrown back toward the truck. The man seated next to Deb was struck by it.

Is a candy sucker a dangerous missle? No, he likely barely felt it. But, emotionally it’s disheartening to try to participate in this country’s process of representative government only to have candy intended for children thrown back in your face on this nation’s birthday celebration.

Deb told me that’s the second time someone riding with the group has had candy thrown back at them in a parade. In the previous case at an area county fair, the parent was heard telling his child, “Throw it back at them!”

In light of the high emotional state of things right now, they decided to pass on participating in the Union County Fair parade this week. It’s a time for unity, not to incite more unsavory behavior.

It’s kind of sad that it’s come to that. When I covered news instead of sports in the 1990s, it seemed like Democrats and Republicans often disagreed, but not with such threatening behavior. Social media attacks and slurs just escalated the downward trend in respect for each other. Decency and grace are disappearing.

I was a young boy at the time of the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. I remember watching JFK’s funeral with my parents, realizing that daughter Caroline was my age as she watched her father’s casket pass by in the procession. I recall the exact spot I was standing on my friend’s porch near my house in Fort Dodge when it was announced that Martin Luther King had been shot.

It’s traumatic for a nation to experience such loss, no matter whose side you’re on. This is the first attack on a U.S. President since Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in 1981 by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C., as he was returning to his limousine after a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton.

Let’s hope this incident has caused some of us to put the brakes on aggressive language and widespread hate. I truly hope it’s not just a momentary pause. I hope the end result isn’t just more conspiracy theories and escalation of a civil war atmosphere.

Focus more on what unites us as human beings. How many times have we all recited this portion of the Pledge of Allegiance in school — “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

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Email: malachy.lp@gmail.com

X: @larrypeterson