No matter what side of the political wrought iron fence the shot rings out from, the very attempt at an assassination of a political candidate or elected official in any capacity is deeply un-American. It spits in the face of every vote ever cast; of every campaign promise ever uttered; of every honest dream harbored in these United States.

It doesn’t matter if you support former President Donald Trump’s bid for the White House or not, the moment we lose ourselves to the barbaric ideology of using violence as a means of overcorrecting our system is the moment this Great American Experiment is shelved forever. 

The effects of such evil can still be felt in the legacy of the Kennedy family, cursed forever to be remembered more for how they died than how they lived. The mind also harkens back to other vital moments in political history, with the assassination attempts of Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and the successful shot at President Abraham Lincoln. 

These men’s lives were either placed in immediate danger, or cut short, all in the name of violence – the antithesis of the democratic way. It matters not the reason or method, the timing or the turn out, this behavior is the result of many grievances held by those individuals, as well as many issues we have left woven into our society – but that doesn’t mean we cannot search for ways to decrease (and ultimately stop) these wannabe assassins.

Despite recent attempts, the Secret Service remains steadfast in their pledged duty to protect to the best of their ability. Our gratitude goes out to the men and women who suspend their individual opinions and assume deadly risk while in uniform to create a unified barrier that guards highly important characters against seemingly increasing instances of harm. We wish them Godspeed and swiftness in all matters regarding the safety of all they are assigned to watch over.

In just a few short weeks, the nation will finally be able to choose who they want to sit in the Oval Office, hopefully free from the threat of gun violence.