Sometimes political discourse can go too far, and in Cleveland this week it crossed every line imaginable.
Paul Jones Jr., a 60-year-old Vietnam Veteran who supports Donald Trump, was having a conversation about the 2016 election Monday night when things took a horrible turn.
According to Jones, a man nearby overheard the conversation and was very upset. After inserting himself into the conversation, the man went to his car and came back with a gun. From there, he proceeded to shoot Jones in the thigh and then walked away, effectively ending the conversation.
It was Jones’ mother who said it best:
“I’m quite sure you have a lot of people having their own opinions. But that doesn’t mean you should hurt somebody because you have your own opinion,”
For me, I am as anti-Trump as it comes. I’ve made it clear why, and I will continue to back it up. I do not, however, find it acceptable to cause harm to someone because of a different political opinion. The fact that someone found it so necessary to shoot someone for a different belief is really indicative of where this election cycle has taken us.
Political discourse is no longer civil, and it is no longer about the ideas that people support. It has become personal to the point that people are being shot for disagreements that used to merely warrant an “unfriending” on Facebook. Both parties have become so divided, with the media not helping, that I am almost afraid events like this will become more and more common as we progress.
One can only pray that our nation comes to it’s sense, that people will not resort to violence to end any type of civil discourse. We should also pray for Mr. Jones, that he recovers safely and the man behind this shooting is held accountable for his crime.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member