Scapegoating liberals for a political shooting

Regarding what Vance said:

"Anyone who cares about preserving a livable planet must reject this argument forcefully. Not only is it baseless — no one actually knows what motivated the young Republican who shot Trump — it is a blatant attempt to silence legitimate criticism."
— Don’t turn the rhetoric down: If a person poses an existential threat to the planet, it’s OK to say that. In fact, it’s our responsibility to. Emily Atkin, HEATED, July 16, 2024.

We’re Blamed For It Sideways (Since Republicans Are Still Anti-Trans)

"I don’t know if you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to have your city’s downtown [Milwaukee] taken over by a major political convention, particularly when just a few days previously the Presidential candidate being feted responded to an assassination attempt by raising his fist and yelling “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Pretty damn weird. That’s the answer. It feels pretty damn weird."
— In the room where (nothing much) happens: Dispatches the edge of the Republican National Convention, Day One Garrett Bucks, The White Pages (Substack), July 16, 2024

"Edward Luce of the Financial Times noted, 'Almost any criticism of Trump is already being spun by Maga as an incitement to assassinate him. This is an Orwellian attempt to silence what remains of the effort to stop him from regaining power.' Indeed, MAGA Republicans appear to be trying to stop discussion of their extremist plans — which are enormously unpopular — by claiming that such a discussion is polarizing."
— Heather Cox Richardson, July 14, 2024, Letters From an American (Substack), July 15, 2024

She patiently explains:

"Republicans under Trump have increasingly advocated violence as a way to gain power because they know their unpopular positions cannot lead their candidates to victory in free and fair elections. In this moment, when there is still little evidence about yesterday’s tragedy, it appears they are projecting their own behavior onto Biden and the Democrats, blaming them for advocating violence when in fact, Biden and the Democrats have tried hard to enact commonsense gun safety laws and have consistently condemned the violent language and normalizing of political violence by Republicans."

After the shooting, Biden did call for everyone to "lower the temperature" and remember that "we're neighbors" who "must stand together."

Trump declares himself a uniter, but is he acting like one? No. He's still defending the January 6 rioters.

Some media figures are eager to portray Trump as a "uniter" after the shooting. Axios is pushing this hard. But Trump just unleashed a rant that wrecks this storyline, calling Jan 6 a "hoax" and depicting our Justice System as corrupt to its core. 2/ newrepublic.com/article/1838...

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— Greg Sargent (@gregsargent.bsky.social) Jul 16, 2024 at 7:13 AM

As a reward for eight years of purging anyone who dared to resist Trumpism - and extensive self-purges due to violent threat - the Republican Party gets effusive praise from establishment media for presenting a “united front.” Not surprising, I guess, but still quite remarkable. 1/

— Thomas Zimmer (@thomaszimmer.bsky.social) Jul 19, 2024 at 12:38 PM

Protect your safety

Elad Nehorai says:

"...start thinking about your safety. ...this is not a matter of a theoretical future but a concrete reality we must face as it becomes more urgent.

This is particularly true if you plan to publicly dissent. You should be more thoughtful about how. You should be more thoughtful about where. You should be more thoughtful about who.

You should operate with intent and strategy. You should plan ahead, not wait until things get worse. You should coordinate with others, not operate alone. You should be part of and build community. You should understand that your family comes first.

— Elad Nehorai, It's Time to Start Thinking About Your Safety: The fascists may be on the verge of winning their biggest battle yet. The time to protect yourself is now. July 17, 2024.

"Threats and Harassment Against Local Officials Spiked in July, New Data Shows," Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI), Princeton University, August 22, 2024