Response to Everett letter on political temperature

Independent Newsmedia

I appreciate the sentiment of Lisa Everett’s letter, Time to lower the temperature in politics. The country is in an historically combative environment. Lisa mentions being a Trump supporter. I wish she would acknowledge his role in this.

He’s created a free-for-all to express hatred and cruelty. She is correct we are locked in a cycle of blame and pointing fingers. I believe the majority of the issue is found in the constant lies and perpetual news cycle Trump demands. 

 Vice President JD Vance said after the recent shooting of Charlie Kirk: “If you look at the political violence in our country over the last couple of months, the last couple of years, it is not a both-sides problem. It is primarily on one side of the political aisle. So if we are going to truly go after the political violence in this country, we need the Democratic leadership of Washington, D.C., to look in the mirror. We need them to renounce all political violence…”

What message does this send? Trump and his MAGA loyalists were the first to blame Democrats for Charlie’s death, without proof.

He’s encouraged violence and set the stage for masked agents to terrorize our streets. I don’t recall hearing any Democrat suggest turning the armed forces against U.S. citizens. In his first term, he asked if protesters couldn’t just be shot in the legs.

 No one should die by gunfire. Charlie Kirk was not the first to suffer that fate. Lisa didn’t mention Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark's assassination or that Trump pretended to know nothing about their murders. Where is the Republican empathy there?

At Charlie’s memorial, Trump said he hates his opponents. Lisa mentioned some Democrats celebrated Kirk’s death. I don’t recall hearing any Democratic leaders expressing that. 

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