A symptom of our sickness.
A photo shared by the New York Times shows a bullet flying past Donald Trump while he spoke at a rally podium in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday. I understand that such imagery can be triggering to the survivors of gun violence—as can photos of the candidate, himself. But my impulse is not to shy away from the violence when talking about it. The ugliness and discomfort are sadly part of the dialog.
As I drove two of the kids to church this morning, we heard a Flipturn lyric a little differently than we might’ve before:
In America
It's hysteria
Everyone has lost control
That’s g*ddamn right.
As of this morning, we know a 50-year-old firefighter was killed and two other people were critically injured when a 20-year-old shooter took aim at former president Trump on Saturday afternoon.
We’ve also seen politicians and pundits share condemnations and wishes for Trump’s speedy recovery. And we’ve seen a few assign blame. But, to me, these statements sound like so many “thoughts and prayers” shared over the bodies of dead schoolchildren—a balm for the moment’s pain shared with little regard to the root of our suffering.
When I was at UGA, I had the opportunity to lecture about terrorism and to help students see it as a symptom of socio-political illness. And yesterday’s attack was no different. Like the pain around a tumor, it’s an indicator rather than the sickness itself: The normalization of political violence.
I don’t pretend to be non-partisan about Trump. As a candidate, I try to avoid talking about Federal matters that don’t intersect with the state legislature. As your neighbor, a second Trump term could be catastrophic for my family and my feelings for the man are anything but generous.
But if we really want to stop this cycle of political violence before it gets out of hand—before our divisions devolve us into American “Troubles” or a nationwide “Bloody Kansas”—we need to proactively reach out to one another. To get past the demagogues who divide us and see each other as neighbors, again. We need to call the Trump supporters in our lives and let them know that we’re horrified by what happened. We need to take those calls from the anti-Trumpers in our lives and hear their sincerity.
Because the real victims of political violence aren’t the candidates clipped by a bullet. They’re the firefighters standing behind them.
JD JORDAN FOR GEORGIA STATE SENATE DISTRICT 56
For anyone in East Cobb, Roswell, or Woodstock alarmed by the state’s escalating attacks on our bodies, our families, our doctors’ offices, our classrooms and libraries, even our polling places, I’m running for State Senate district 56 to fight for our freedoms and to deliver a better future for everyone in Georgia.
And unlike my opponent who’s spent 14 years rolling back our freedoms, failing to safeguard our kids, and gerrymandered his district to stay in office, I promise to bring everyone in the 56—regardless of ideology—the best possible constituent experience so you feel heard, valued, and supported. As we all deserve to be.
I’m running for the 56. Let’s make a better Georgia for all of us.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Jordan For Georgia, LLC
10800 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 208 #629
Roswell, GA 30076-1467
jdjordan@forthe56.com
706.804.0456
