By Kenneth L. Hardin

You can’t create an atmosphere of violence with continual hate-filled rhetoric and then expect people to not act accordingly. You can’t encourage people to act in a brutish and assaultive manner and then want people to feel sorry for you when that same level of behavior arrives at your front door. I find no joy or satisfaction in former President Trump being shot and wounded because I don’t subscribe to people trying to silence voices they don’t like, agree or align with.

I’ve felt the stinging barbs of people who can’t or don’t possess the intellectual capacity to strengthen their dissenting argument or to just shut up and ignore the content.

Historically, too many people of color I’ve admired have been silenced by assassins’ bullets simply because someone refused to allow them to assert their right to free speech. Sadly, some of the ones we’ve lost at the end of a rifle, handgun, shotgun or other forms of violence were purveyors of peace, love, acceptance and equality for all people and not out to assert that one demographic, class or culture is less than and less deserving. I mourn for well-known historical figures who believed in peace and understanding but were cut down by murderers like Dr. King, Medgar Evers, El-hajj Malik El-Shabazz and Emmett Till. My heart is filled with sadness for those lesser known like Corporal Roman Ducksworth Jr., a military police officer stationed in Maryland in 1962. He was on leave in Mississippi visiting his ailing wife when he was ordered off of a bus by a police officer and murdered. The active-duty military member was mistaken for a freedom rider, who challenged bus desegregation laws. My heart even aches for many good people, who don’t look like me, that took a brave stand to fight for basic humanity and civil rights for all people. In Attalla Alabama, in April 1963, my spiritual brother, William Lewis Moore, a postman from Baltimore, was murdered by gun violence. He was engaged in a one-man march against segregation and was planning to deliver a letter to the governor of Mississippi urging an end to intolerance.

I can’t believe the arrogance and audacity of Trump and his supporters now calling for unity when for the last four years the man has had no problem encouraging and promoting violence.

Now that the violence he reveled in has rung his doorbell, and he’s on the receiving end, they want to call for increased brotherhood. Where was all that goodwill at Trump rallies when he was encouraging attendees to assault other people who protested and saying he would cover their legal fees? Where was that call for solidarity when he was making racist comments about African countries, people from Hispanic and Muslim countries and others that didn’t look like him? Trump has done nothing but stoke the flames of hate and division and encourage poor whites to carry out his hate-inspired beliefs. Now we’re supposed to find sympathy and feel sorry for him?

He encouraged violence by telling people to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. It nearly resulted in violence against elected officials and police officers were killed simply because his ego took a hit when he fairly lost the 2020 election. Instead of accountability and calls for unity, people continue to promote the big lie. He calls people that caused the mayhem, death and destruction that day heroes. As an honorably discharged veteran, I’m disgusted by this from the man who is supposed to protect the constitution as the commander in chief. I don’t condone or celebrate what happened to Trump but he’s not a hero or martyr. If people want unity and healing, don’t wait until it hits your doorstep, practice it beforehand. The onus shouldn’t be on those victimized to do the healing while the instigators continue to oppress until they get their comeuppance.

I had a related unfortunate incident occur at my Veterans Center a week before this assassination attempt. We have a long-standing rule that we don’t discuss politics or religion inside our facility. I haven’t wavered from it, softened it, allowed anyone to circumvent this rule since day one. It’s in place to ensure we maintain a respectful and harmonious atmosphere. A long-time attending veteran felt he could override the rule and began to discuss specifics about the current presidential campaign. I asked him several times to refrain from further discussions as I could tell other veterans were becoming uncomfortable with his strong defense of Trump and equally strong criticism of Biden. I tried to change the subject by saying, “I don’t care who wins, I just want respect and civility to return to the presidential campaign.” He didn’t catch the hint and continued on his verbal tirade. When he refused to adhere to my third respectful request to cease, I escalated the tone and temperature of the conversation towards him and it became loud, heated and profane on my part. I offer no apologies for the position I took, the heated and profane words I uttered or how I came across. The veteran felt as if he had the right and authority to disregard my respectful requests and kept discussing why he supported Trump and despised Biden. I strongly and unapologetically reminded him in the most discourteous way possible that he was a guest and made it clear that if he continued his line of political propaganda statements, he would be asked to leave and not be able to return. Sometimes that’s how you find unity.

 Kenneth L. (Kenny) Hardin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.