“We are fine…” This is how Hillary Clinton addressed the intercepted explosives while at a press conference in Miami. While she thanked the Secret Service and spoke of the great divisions spreading across the country, and the “troubling times” we are living through, my mind couldn’t move beyond that simple phrase.
We say “fine” when we don’t want to dwell on things, when we want to dust things off and get on with it, a resilience few possess, and a quality i’ve spotted in the former presidential candidate. However, for today I want to dive right into these deep cracks that aren’t troubling, but rather crippling and debilitating.
These potential explosives were sent to noted critics of Donald Trump. Prominent figures like Soros, Clinton, and Obama were targets of this terrorist attack and institutions like CNN, which in the past has been sharply critical of Trump’s presidency, also received a live explosive device.
This political terrorist attack comes weeks before the midterm elections and the timing has made it ripe for conspiracy theorists to rise to the fore. Wild theories are now flourishing in platforms like 4chan and Reddit, claiming that these attacks are red flags, a hoax to vilify the right. The fact that these attacks are being termed as “super convenient events” glosses over the political violence that is being perpetrated and what’s even worse, it fails to understand the deep implications of these attacks.
These manilla or cream colored letter bombs are a vile taunt that says “This system, which has existed to connect you with the world, no longer exists,” “I know where you work, where you live.” Your life and ties to those around you cease to exist and the fact that some of us don’t see that speak of these cracks, which reach deep down into our sense of humanity.
So, while I agree with Hillary Clinton that we are living through a “troubling” time, we have to look deep into these cracks on both sides of the court and recognize that both parties are both responsible for the widening breach.
So, as the story unfolded before my eyes and I saw the horror spread, I turned my sights to the leader of the United States, what did he have to say in this regard? Trump’s silence has been telling, his press secretary Sarah Sanders and Mike Pence were the first to respond, calling out these terrorizing acts. Now, I know Trump retweeted Pence with “I agree wholeheartedly” and has given a press conference, but the fact that he hasn’t delved into this violence that is present in both parties is deeply disappointing and a marker that he wishes perhaps to continue to stoke this hatred and extreme views.
We don’t know what goes on in his head but the fact that he hasn’t actively sought condemnation means that his sights are set on the elections, and seeking conciliation is politically dangerous for him. So the wise track is just to say “I agree” without having a statement or an opinion. So in view of these attacks, the image we get of him is that of a voice among many and not a leader whose position is clearly heard and understood. He stands in the back, patting Pence’s back, nodding, and ever watchful.
The victims here are not only one party, let’s be clear the attacks have been carried out on both sides, just in August of this year a man was arrested for threatening two Republican leaders, and the list goes on. Even Trump’s son, Don Jr has condemned these attacks, “This crap has to stop and I hope they end up in jail for a long time.” So rather than staying quiet or calling out these events as red flags, we have to begin to dig deep into these crevices and see in what ways can we fix this divide.
So, with Trump’s strange ambivalence the cracks have only deepened and become darker. This is an event among many that have occurred and which has turned the political arena into a senseless tug of war. Both political parties are losing what little rope they have left and are equally already covered in mud and muck. What’s left is to watch the cracks unfold and hope that we don’t fall between them and get lost.