By: Kayleigh Hamilton
Donald Trump was targeted by someone who wanted him dead.
The gunman was inches away from succeeding in his attempt.
And now gun control is being pushed forward in the wake of this incident.
The shooting that took place at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania shook America to its core and even shocked observers around the world.
After all, Trump was just an inch away from being hit squarely in the head by the bullet, which would have led to a much different and far darker set of circumstances.
Many politicians put out statements sharing their sympathies after what happened, even people who severely dislike Trump but at least have the humanity to not wish him physical harm.
But some have seized on the events to try to push one of their favorite hobby horses, gun control. And they are hoping to make this a reality after what happened.
They are touting the fact that the shooter used an AR-15 and hoping that will persuade people to support more restrictions.
And if gun rights supporters don’t mobilize to lobby their representatives, gun control could soon pass in a number of places.
Boston.com has one example of a politician pushing gun control after the shooting: “After the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Saturday evening, elected Democrats in Massachusetts lined up to condemn political violence and express their gratitude that Trump was safe. Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell was one of them.”
“In a second statement, Campbell went a step further than many of her fellow officials and said the attack illustrates the wider issue of gun violence in America.”
AG Campbell has clearly learned well that a good Democrat never lets a crisis go to waste, and she is willing to take a step that many of her fellow Democrats have not taken – using the attempt on Trump’s life to push a piece of legislation.
Others responded to the shooting similarly, including celebrities like Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
Curry said, “Obviously, gun control first and foremost, because the fact that that’s even possible for somebody to have an attack like that. But just more so you want to [see] positivity and hope. It sounds cheesy, but it’s real. That’s when our country’s at its best, and it just adds another blemish to what’s going on. So sad is just the word.”
The fact that Curry’s “first and foremost” response to the shooting wasn’t to condemn political hatred and violence, but to promote gun control, shows a serious issue with his priorities.
He is free to have whatever opinion he wants about guns, but it is not right to use a tragic event to immediately start pushing his political agenda.
Not only was Trump wounded in the attack, but a firefighter who was at the rally was killed in front of his family. That should be the focus, not gun control.
Most Democrats have responded to this shooting appropriately, but a handful of them simply could not resist the opportunity to push gun control.