Hey, y’all. I know I’ve been gone for a while. Between vacations, illness (strep throat AND a sinus infection all at once), writer’s block and just plain old procrastination, I’ve been a bit MIA for the last two months. However, I was all primed to post a little something on the blog, and this past Saturday night (Jul. 13, 2024), the news came across the wire: a gunman made an assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump during one of his rallies.

Thankfully, Trump survived the attempt, however, a gentleman by the name of Corey Comperatore lost his life while trying to protect his family from the shots fired. Two other attendees at the rally were also shot, and they’re currently in critical condition. As for the gunman, who has now been identified as 20 yr. old Thomas Matthew Crooks, he was killed by the Secret Service. It’s being reported that aside from the gun he was armed with, explosive devices were found in his car, and there was another suspicious device found in his house. There’s no telling what else he had planned.

As usual, I have to give my two cents on this situation. First, I have to say that I was shocked to hear the news, and even more shocked when I watched the video of the attempt on YouTube. The last assassination attempt on an American president’s life that I could recall off the top of my head was March 30, 1981, when John Hinckley, Jr. tried to kill President Ronald Reagan. That happened three and half months before I was born. While researching the topic, I learned that there were other non-successful plots that never came to any type of fruition over the last few decades. Secondly, despite my feelings regarding Donald Trump, I don’t wish any ill will to him or his supporters. I’m not a fan of the man, but I don’t wish death on him. Third, the division this country has experienced over the years and the violent measures people are taking against people with different political views is becoming more and more scary. If people are acting like this now, how will things continue to be in the future?

I truly fear for the future of our country. If I’m being honest, neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden strike me as the best men suited to lead America. I have half a mind to vote for Robert Kennedy, Jr., but we all know the Independent candidate never wins, at least not in the present time. Not only that, but as I said before, the political landscape is getting more and more violent when it comes to people having opposing views. First there was the Jan. 6 insurrection and now this? Even going out to venues with crowds of people is becoming more of a risk. Whether it’s a rally, church, a theatre, a mall, a grocery store, or a concert, some fool with a gun may start opening fire in a crowd just because he has some sort of ridiculous vendetta. It’s gotten to the point where I try to make note of all the possible exits whenever I go into a certain area. And some folks out there believe we don’t need gun control. Lord knows we need to stay prayed up.

It also upsets me to hear about the gunman himself. Thomas Crooks was only 20 yrs. old (and to look at the pictures of him, you’d think he was about 16). He hadn’t even begun to live yet, and he made this crazy decision to blow his life up? I can’t help but wonder what drove him to do something like this. Was someone in his ear, or did he just have mental problems? And what exactly were his plans with those explosive devices? There’s been reports made about Crooks, but there’s still no clear motive as to why he felt the need to kill someone, namely a high level political official.

I’ve heard that some are speculating that this assassination attempt was staged to garner more sympathy for Donald Trump’s campaign. I hope to God that’s not true, seeing as there was collateral damage in the wake of this event. Besides, from what I’m seeing, a lot of people are on the side of Mr. Trump when it comes to this campaign, so something this violent is wholly unnecessary, not to mention insane. There’s also some analysts that feel like something’s not adding up when it comes to the Secret Service’s security for the rally. How did Crooks get that close to Trump, and how was he able to get on the roof with an assault rifle? Was Trump set up, or was this a case of overall incompetence?

I’m glad that Mr. Trump is alright, and although I’m so sorry for Mr. Comperatore’s family and the fact that this poor man ended up dying for simply attending a rally, I’m glad that there weren’t more casualties and/or injuries. I hope the other victims have a full recovery, and I pray that we as a nation can get through this…somehow.

—Written by Nadiya

What are your thoughts on the Donald Trump assassination attempt? Let me know in the comments section!