I have been trying to wrap my mind around the events that transpired this past week. I have no personal memory of the level of hate I witnessed in this country. It felt surreal; as if I was sucked back into the 1960s, or perhaps the 1860s.
I’m not being hyperbolic or dramatic here. Through the course of one week, three different men, from three different states, committed acts of domestic terrorism that threatened two former presidents, the former CIA Director, sitting congresspeople, and left 13 innocent people dead because of their race or religious beliefs.
What’s scary about these acts of terrorism is that they fit into a larger trend of a rise in militarized men—yes men—ready to fight in an undeclared war against anyone who they believed to be a threat.
While militant groups are not new, what is new is that we have a president condoning, and one could even argue commissioning, this behavior.
In fact, that is exactly what happened at a rally Thursday, Oct. 18, before these men committed these acts of terror. When referring to Rep. Greg Gianforte the president declared, “Any guy that can do a body slam — he’s my kind of guy. He’s a great guy, tough cookie.” Gianforte, as you may recall pled guilty to misdemeanor assault after he attacked a reporter.
Three days later, on Oct. 22, Cesar Sayoc, Jr., a huge supporter of the president, began sending bombs to two former presidents, the former CIA, current congresspeople, and other public figures.
When Sayoc was arrested on Friday, his van was covered in hateful anti-left stickers that included pictures of Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore and Van Jones in crosshairs. His van also expressed his obsession with the president.
Then on Wednesday, Oct. 24, Gregory Bush, a white man, attempted to enter First Baptist Church in Jeffersontown, a black church in Kentucky. He was there to kill innocent black parishioners. Thankfully the doors were locked, and he decided to leave after struggling to get in.
Sadly, he did not cease his efforts altogether but instead went to the local Kroger where he shot and killed two innocent black people, including a grandfather who was shopping with his 12-year-old grandson, and a black woman who had just retired from the VA.
When a white bystander in the parking lot pulled out his gun to defend himself, Bush asked him “What are you doing? “Whites don’t kill whites.”
And then on Saturday morning, Robert Bowers, armed with AR-15-style assault rifle and three Glock handguns, went into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg and killed 11 innocent Jewish people ranging in age from 54 to 97 years old.
According to a complaint filed against him, Bowers committed this act of violence because he felt “all Jews must die,” because he believed Jews “were committing genocide against his people.”
While the president has condemned these particular acts of violence, that means nothing if he does not acknowledge the role his hateful and reckless rhetoric has played in conjuring up these acts. I do not believe it’s a coincidence that days after he praised violence towards a member of the media that we saw these acts of domestic terrorism.
While it is true that voting is a good way to hold him accountable, that is not enough. More than that, we must work for peace and unity.
The president did not create the militants, he has only inspired them. We must address the underlying issue. Our country is in desperate need for healing. Only once we heal will we become immune to this president’s hateful rhetoric and prevent the taking of more innocent lives.
We are in a sad state that only God can heal.