Political violence is not the solution

I am a child of the 1960s, so I remember the political violence of my generation. I never participated in any of that, and I have never been the victim of political violence myself.

But I remember the loudest liberal voices in our great land gunned down — JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King, Jr.

I remember the Democratic Convention in Chicago, and I remember Kent State where the National Guard turned their weapons on student protestors.

I remember a friend of mine who was shopping at a little boutique on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley when law enforcement officers chased the People’s Park protesters into that store and authorities arrested everyone, including my friend. She was simply a 20-something in the wrong place at the wrong time. No charges were ever filed against her or anyone arrested in that store.

I remember a friend who was beaten with a club by an officer on horseback at a demonstration at San Francisco State.

I remember the ROTC Building at Fresno State — blown up by a bomber, killing a custodian.

I remember a peace march in Fresno when alleged members of the Students for a Democratic Society tried to hand out bricks for the kids to throw through storefront windows to launch a riot. We did not.

I remember one of those alleged SDS members yelling profanities into the face of a police officer who stopped marchers from crossing the street against the light. He begged the officer to hit him. I thanked that officer for keeping his cool as I walked past him and the green light.

I remember the San Francisco Moratorium that ended when a Chicano group stormed and took over the stage. An estimated crowd of more than 300,000 didn’t want to hear it and walked off.

I’ve even been threated here a lassennews.com by a caller who informed me Republicans have all the guns and know how to use them and if I had any sense before the revolution comes I would go somewhere where no one knew me and keep my “expletive deleted” mouth shut. Frankly, I do not fear a GOP hit squad.

Yes, the divisions in our great land are deep today, but I know and believe the vast majority of my fellow citizens would never participate in or support such political violence.

One of the lessons I instantly learned that November day in Dallas was if someone wanted to kill someone, even the president of the United States, it could be done if one doesn’t care about what happens to one in the aftermath. Sadly, it almost happened again.

I am not and never have been a Trump fan (I’m not a Biden fan either), but I am thankful Trump escaped assassination a couple of days ago.

As we surge forward to election day in November and its ultimate result, I hope we as Americans can figure out a way to resolve and maybe even discuss our differences in a peaceful manner. We are country men in a nation founded and dedicated to the highest ideals of freedom and equality of any government known to man.

We truly are exceptional as a people and a nation, and we all should conduct ourselves accordingly.