FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
July 15, 2024
Contact: Denzel McCampbell, denzel@progressmichigan.org
Political Violence Takes Many Forms; Let’s Condemn Them All
Response to attempted shooting of Trump must be thoughtful, multifaceted
MICHIGAN – On Monday, following the attempted shooting of former President Trump by a registered Republican voter at a MAGA rally, Progress Michigan released a statement condemning political violence in its many forms.
“This shooting is a sobering reminder that no one, even the most stalwart supporters of uncontrolled access to guns, is safe from the epidemic of gun violence,” said Sam Inglot, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Today, as we always have, we mourn the damage done to communities across the country by gun violence, and we reaffirm our support for evidence-backed policies to make us all safer.
“It’s unfortunate that it took an attack on Trump for MAGA Republicans to become concerned about political violence and inflammatory rhetoric. But now that the conversation has started, we would love to engage. To MAGA Republican leaders, we ask: Does your condemnation of political violence apply to a president who refuses to concede an election and incites his supporters to stage an armed insurrection against the U.S. Congress? Does it apply to a party that stokes violence against public health and election officials? What about a slew of violent individuals who directly cite Donald Trump as their inspiration?
“Additionally, we cannot ignore the institutional violence Republicans openly aim to perpetrate against people across the country. From the dangerous dehumanization of immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community to laws that force people to carry unwanted, or even unsafe, pregnancies to term, to the ongoing epidemic of police brutality, particularly against Black and brown people, disabled people, and people experiencing homelessness, we ask that all our elected officials—regardless of party—reckon honestly with the violence their constituents experience on a daily basis and ask themselves whether these people’s lower status and anonymity makes it matter any less.
“Finally, while we condemn this attempted shooting and maintain that political violence is not the way to assert our will or solve our problems, however, the events of this Saturday do not in any way absolve Trump of the harm he has done thus far or change the fact that MAGA Republicans pose an existential threat to our democracy. We will continue to fight, with our words and our votes, for the safe, equitable, bright future we all deserve.”
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