Getting shot is not appealing to Black voters
The assassination attempt of Donald Trump needs to be a rallying cry against political gun violence and not a campaign point to attract Black people
If you’re a regular reader of this page, you know I’ve done my best to keep the political circus away from my writing. Of course, policy directly impacts topics like gun violence, policing and criminal justice reform, but I try to avoid the theater that surrounds it and stick to the facts.
Unfortunately, because of what happened this weekend, I need to step onto this stage for a second. For anyone who’s someone not aware, a gunman shot at former President and 2024 Republican nominee Donald Trump during a rally on Saturday. Trump was injured, and two people were killed, including the shooter.
I’m not getting into all the bullsh*t discourse that’s going on across social media and even in some newsrooms. If you want facts about the incident, the shooter, their background, etc. I’d recommend following the Associated Press and their coverage. They’re doing the best work IMO.
If you’re reading this with the expectation that I’m going to entertain some of the nonsense being trafficked online or get into the political blame game, unsubscribe to this page and block me while you’re at it. I don’t have time for you clowns. Go get some fresh air and lift some weights.
One talking point I have seen that I can’t ignore is this idea that Trump getting shot at is somehow going to get Black voters to flock to him, specifically Black men. This isn’t just coming from the racist corners of the internet. Forbes ran an opinion piece yesterday titled “Will Surviving Gunfire Be Donald Trump’s Next Appeal to Black Voters?” They deleted the piece assumingly after the widespread criticism they received.
Similar rhetoric went around after Trump’s Fulton County mugshot came out last year. This idea that Black men are so synonymous with the criminal justice system that they eliminate all logic when voting for a presidential candidate.
It plays into the same suggestion that the only identifying characteristics of being a Black man are related to guns, drugs, violence, prison, and depravity.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I’m from a Black neighborhood, and I speak to leaders and residents in these communities daily at this point. The vast majority of Black people aren’t celebrating criminality. For the ones that are, those same leaders and residents are working around the clock to change those mentalities and situations. These are people that you’ll never hear from because they don’t do it for any clout or attention.
Hell, I’ve spoken to guys who have been in shootouts, locked up for over 20 years, who all say they’d give their lives to undo the damage they caused.
As I’ve said, these criminal justice issues are primarily an issue for Black Americans, but that doesn’t mean it defines the community. It certainly doesn’t mean Black folks are so blinded by it that they’ll abandon every other issue that impacts the community.
I’m not a political expert. I know Trump has some Black supporters out there1, and I’m in no way shape or form telling people who to vote for. But it is straight-up racist to suggest Black people will support Trump because he’s been shot at and has a mugshot.
While I mainly cover community gun violence, what happened on Saturday was still a form of gun violence, albeit seemingly more politically motivated. However, the principles remain the same in both types of gun violence. It can lead to retaliation and create a cycle that’s difficult to stop.
Political gun violence2 has no place in our country. I fear that this will only lead to more violence on both sides. I hope I’m wrong if you look at any poll, most Americans vehemently disagree with using violence as a way to solve political differences.
We need to condemn political gun violence. The same way we need to address and speak out against daily community gun violence.
Any kind, really.
What he said….no further comment needed.