Like many Americans, I am still reeling from the events of Saturday, when Donald Trump took the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania for what was supposed to be a campaign rally, but instead was hurriedly ushered out minutes later by the Secret Service after an attempted assassin's bullet pierced his right ear.

The incident was shocking in many ways, of course, but also entirely predictable in others. 

As people of all political stripes would agree, the imagery was some of the most iconic America will ever see. The bullet that hit Trump traveling through the air. A bloodied Trump raising his fist defiantly to the crowd, with no words uttered beyond "fight, fight," as the meaning of that look on his face was crystal clear:

"I'm still here. I'm alive, and I'm not going any damn where," it said.

Such an unbelievably powerful moment, and one I know many of us will never forget.

READ MORE-->> WON'T BACK DOWN: Injured Trump Pumps Fist As Blood Streams Down Face

As all of this was playing out I was at home caring for my 80-year-old mom who had a medical issue with her foot that required a trip to the urgent care. With her walker and transport chair loaded in the back seat, I'd had to take her in the near-100-degree heat to a UC about half an hour's drive away but with earlier appointment times than most.

By the time we got home late that Saturday afternoon, she and I both were wiped out. But there were still things that needed to be done. So imagine our surprise when in the middle of a short break I took, I checked on social media and discovered that shots had been fired at the Trump rally.

I watched Fox News for a short time to see what was being said, but also periodically checked in at RedState. Not surprisingly, my colleagues were on the ball from the start, covering all developments and angles, including what was being said on the ground, the reactions, the videos, all of it, while also being careful not to go too far out on a limb on certain aspects until confirmation presumably could be obtained.

It made me so proud to be a member of this team, especially right here at the 20th anniversary of RedState's founding. I get to work with such extraordinary people every day to help bring stories to readers that the media either ignores or plays down, to cut through the spin, and to help bring much-needed perspective and clarity when the left/media hyperventilating and outrage-machining starts.

It's a big reason why I started blogging in 2003, and why I couldn't believe my luck when, after losing my longtime administrative job in January 2019, I put out feelers for a writing opportunity and was given a chance by RedState, where the first article I wrote was on my birthday.

The rest, as they say, is history, and I pray this site - and me and my fellow writers - are around here for a long time to come in order to continue documenting political and cultural history in ways that we hope enrich the lives of readers and maybe, just maybe, change the minds of a critic or two out there.

Thank you to RedState and Salem Media for taking a chance on a rusty blogger, and thank you to RedState readers for keeping it lively, keeping us on our toes, and keeping up your support over the last 20 years and counting. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it means everything. Thank you.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: We're so grateful for our loyal readers, who've made reaching this milestone possible. We continue to fight censorship and throttling from Big Tech, and the only way we're able to continue bringing the honest, fearless journalism you've come to expect is through the direct support of our VIP members. If you're not already a VIP member, when you join today you'll receive 60% off with discount code RS20.)