I love what you write, but when you say he was "engaging in dialogue", I find myself shaking my head. Yes, he may not have been yelling and screaming (I didn't see the video, so I'll assume that's correct), but "engaging in dialogue" implies a mutual respect. He was spreading hatred and bigotry. While I cannot defend or condone violence, I also don't want to candycoat or misrepresent the bigotry and hatred he spread over the years and continued to spread.
The larger picture is gun access and violence in the USA … more than 350 mass shootings so far in 2025 (defined where 4 or more are killed/injured) and the fourth year in a row where the leading cause of death of children and youth is guns.
Is it any wonder there is also political violence with guns?
I love what you write, but when you say he was "engaging in dialogue", I find myself shaking my head. Yes, he may not have been yelling and screaming (I didn't see the video, so I'll assume that's correct), but "engaging in dialogue" implies a mutual respect. He was spreading hatred and bigotry. While I cannot defend or condone violence, I also don't want to candycoat or misrepresent the bigotry and hatred he spread over the years and continued to spread.
The larger picture is gun access and violence in the USA … more than 350 mass shootings so far in 2025 (defined where 4 or more are killed/injured) and the fourth year in a row where the leading cause of death of children and youth is guns.
Is it any wonder there is also political violence with guns?
ALL of it should be intolerable.
Thank you for your deep wisdom and capacity to articulate what many are feeling -