Americans paused and gasped as they witnessed the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The incident struck fear in our hearts and invoked prayer on our lips about what had come to seem unthinkable in America. After the Secret Service intervened, America breathed a sigh of relief to see Trump stand up, ask for his shoes and clinch his fist to signal that he was OK. It was amazing to see God step into what could have been an even more horrific situation.
When Trump was struck by that bullet, his humanity and safety took priority over his candidacy and celebrity. It was a scary situation that showed us that even with assigned governmental protection, no one is off limits, no one is guaranteed another day.
Trump is a husband, father, uncle and grandfather. He has a family that loves him. He, like any of us, deserves a safe environment where he can campaign and compete for the position of president of the United States of America. Anyone in America should be able to attend a rally without being concerned about their safety. America deserves a constructive presidential contest where we can become familiar with the candidates’ policies and vote accordingly.
No one, regardless of their politics, wants to see a presidential candidate hunkered down behind a podium, with Secret Service agents piled on him. Trump’s periphery of safety was compromised, as was that of the people attending the rally. While most rally attendees went home after the shooting, two were transported to the hospital, and one, Corey Comperatore, a father and husband, would never return home again. This was heartbreaking, not only for Trump supporters but for all of America.
And the outcome might have been even worse. Rally attendees with cameras alerted law enforcement to the location of the 20-year-old shooter. They should be applauded for their courage.
Campaigns in America are typically characterized by mudslinging, lambasting and slandering, but not violence. Our country has been traumatized by many shootings to include Columbine, Sandy Hook, Emanuel A.M.E Church, Tops Supermarket, Uvalde and the Harvest music festival and now a presidential campaign rally. This cannot become our norm.
It has been 43 years since the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. During a time in the 1960s when there was rampant hate, angry discourse and high tension, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. We vowed that we would take measures to keep our country safe. Yet over time, we have seen an exponential rise in shootings and hate crimes.
After Sept. 11, we invested billions of dollars in security, surveillance and safety infrastructure against foreign invasions and attacks. This apparatus, plus more investment in law enforcement, can aid efforts to make America safe again.
A lot of people in this country are struggling mentally and financially. Some people are in a desperate state and lack hope that can be the bridge that gets them through each day. We should also consider ways to ease suffering, de-escalate crisis and mitigate risk. Investing in mental health care and social worker interventions might be part of endeavors to make America safe again.
Americans can be safer with legislation that doesn’t trample on Second Amendment rights. Americans can be safer if there is more responsible gun ownership, a stronger commitment to background checks, and a ban on assault weapons.
Americans need psychological and social safety as well as physical safety. The attempt on Trump’s life brings into sharp focus that our safety is in crisis. America cannot be great again until we are safe again. America cannot be strong until we are safe. America cannot be free until we are safe.
The words of President George H.W. Bush ring true today; we need to be a “kinder and gentler nation.” This is our land and our country. Let’s all make America safe again.
The Rev. Theresa A. Dear is a national board member of the NAACP and a Deseret News contributor.