Will America regain its sanity?

As the US and the world begin to recover from the initial shock of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, there is a lot of curiosity about how the incident will affect the upcoming presidential election in November. While speaking at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thomas Mathew Crooks - a 20-year-old - shot and wounded Trump and he has sent a strong message that an assassination attempt will only strengthen his campaign. The aggressor Crooks was killed by Secret Service agents, the president's top security force. After 40 years, the investigation into the latest political assassination attempt in the United States is going on at a fast pace. Even after a detailed investigation into his background, it is not clear what inspired Crooks. The agencies report that this maiden voter, who has a Republican political stance, does not have any mental illness or ' contagion of terrorist ideas'. So the primary conclusion is that he is a product of America's gun culture and domestic terrorism. Quiet and solitary, but good at studies, Crooks was a member of the Shooting Club.

Also read: The grim history of gun violence against US politicians

The AR-15 rifle used by the attacker is the gun most commonly used by civilians in the United States, at one in twenty. In the decade from 2012 to 2022, the same type of weapon was used in 10 of the 17 mass murders in the United States. In 2012, 12 people were killed in a shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. 17 students were killed at Parkland School in Florida in 2018 and 21 students were killed at Uwade School in Texas in May 2022. Therefore, Democrats who oppose the universalization of gun use have included this gun in the list they want to ban. Meanwhile, the Republican Party is strongly opposed to gun bans. There are two sides to this issue among the people. In a poll last year, 49 percent opposed gun control and 46 percent favored it. There is no telling if they will back down from their stance against gun bans, given that the candidate was shot by a Republican supporter.

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Domestic observers are all equally appalled that America's current political climate is a mess. Meanwhile, there is widespread concern that the shooting that took place at the final stage of candidate selection for the November 5 election will lead to more violence and chaos in the country. U.S. President Joe Biden must have seen that and condemned the violence and announced a flawless investigation. Doubts have already been raised about whether Trump and his colleagues will turn the incident into a means for election campaign and eventual victory. Contrary to the norm, Trump responded by accepting President Joe Biden's call to stand for integrity against attempts to divide the country. Some studies have recently come out that show that Americans are emotionally divided but not ideologically and they see their opponents with absolute intolerance. According to the study, violence against elected representatives and officials has been increasing in recent years. The assault on Capitol Hill by Trump's men on January 6, 2021, was the deadliest of its kind, refusing to accept defeat in the last election. Trump and his followers could not come to terms with being out of power. That's what infuriated supporters for a rare anarchic move to seize power, and Trump is still touting the election results were rigged.

Also read: Top public health concern in the US is gun violence, says study

Trump is trying hard to regain power and keep the lights on for right-wing extremism. His philosophy is that the United States is a war zone between Trump's party and domestic enemies. Trump has mouthpieces that incite followers against political opponents. "They are not after me, they are after you. I got caught in the crossfires" is his warning to his followers. This election is the final battle. "In 2016, I was your voice and today I am your warrior, your justice, your revenge against traitors" - This time, Trump is leading the campaign war by saying things like this and stirring up the ranks in the guise of a political martyr. Meanwhile, observers who know him see no reason why Trump should not use the eight bullets fired from the 20-year-old's gun as more fuel for this martyrdom. Even Republican leaders issued a statement and followed in Trump's footsteps by pointing fingers at opponents as domestic enemies and linking the violence to the Biden administration. One representative even called for Biden to be arrested for inciting an assassination attempt. If the political campaign continues in this direction, the country will be ruined. The relief from the failure of the assassination attempt will only last with a balanced and politically enlightened collective action.

Also read: The America that cannot control internal terrorism

Will American political leadership demonstrate the wisdom to forget Republican and Democrat distinctions and regain the presence of mind to do so?