Last Saturday, July 13 a troubled young man attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. We should not write this off as just another crazy moment in an otherwise crazy season of American politics. An attempted assassination is next level depravity that should force our entire country to pause and recalibrate. America has a political problem. We need to have a conversation about the tone of our politics.
When I was a student our country had a conversation about the “n-word.” I first heard the “n-word” in 90’s rap music. I also heard it periodically from other kids at school as well as some extended family members. A case was made that the “n-word” should be treated as a cuss word that should never be said. The case was persuasive and the conversation worked. I rarely heard it back in the 90s, but now only hear it today in rap music and from African-American comedians. Today I never hear the “n-word” in private conversations. We got to this improved place by having a conversation about it. More specifically, people became convinced that even when joking around it was wrong to use the “n-word.” There was social pressure amongst ordinary Americans that the “n-word” was not appropriate to use even in private conversations.
We need a similar conversation regarding how we speak about politics. I have heard politicians, journalists, and then ordinary Americans compare Donald Trump to Hitler, that he is a threat to democracy, that he is racist, that he has colluded with the Russians, and that he is somehow scheming to become some sort of authoritarian dictator. Those comments by politicians, journalists, and ordinary Americans are both untrue and unhinged. They are irresponsible and inappropriate. They should not be allowed in polite society and in personal conversations.
It would be hypocritical to claim these sorts of unhinged comments are only on the left. Donald Trump is guilty of saying very ugly and untrue things. He has broken norms. However, I maintain that the response to Donald Trump has been much worse than anything Trump has done. Again, I think both sides are guilty of unhinged and untrue comments.
However, my little article is a plea to tone down the rhetoric as well as a hopeful way to get to a more civil society. The “n-word” is no longer used in polite society and any personal conversation that I have had in over thirty years. My plea is that when people on the right hear untrue and unhinged comments from their friends on the right that they say something. My plea is that when people on the left hear untrue and unhinged comments from their friends on the left that they say something. Ordinary American, your political leaders and journalists are not going to lead you in this direction. We need to do it on our own. We need to force them to follow our lead.
I don’t care if you like Trump or not. This article is not an attempt to get you to vote for him or not. However, in my presence I don’t allow people to use the “n-word.” I am no longer going to allow people in my presence to try and compare Donald Trump to Hitler, or claim that he is a threat to democracy, or that he is a racist, or that he somehow colluded with the Russians, or that he is somehow scheming to become some sort of authoritarian dictator. There are many fair criticisms you can make of Trump, but those comments are untrue and unhinged. Those comments are inappropriate as public comments or in private conversations.
We don’t yet know the motives as to why that troubled 20-year-old tried to assassinate President Trump. However, I look back in history and praise people as heroes that tried to assassinate Hitler. There is a logic to political violence if someone believes a politician is in the same sphere as Hitler. That logic is why we must recalibrate the tone of our political rhetoric. Again, our politicians and journalists are not going to do it unless we lead them in that direction.
Moving forward, here is my little plan. If I hear something from a friend that I think is dangerously untrue and unhinged I am going to try and talk about it. I am going to try and say that I believe what they just said was untrue and unhinged and I fear has the potential to fuel a troubled person to do something dangerous. I will try to do it politely, but I will also try to do it clearly. I want people around me to know that those types of political hot takes are not welcome in my presence.
Friends, I’m not perfect on these issues. I also have strong political opinions. However, I firmly believe the assassination attempt is a moment to recalibrate our political rhetoric even in ordinary conversations. But I’m also encouraged. As a Gen-Xer I saw change in our use of the “n-word.” As the famous theologian Townie has taught us, “you can do it!”