Last weekend the nation watched and rewatched live video of Donald Trump being shot as he spoke at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. No matter their party beliefs, many watched it happen then watched it again. And again.
Predictable dialogue followed along with some surprising, unpredicted dialogue. The surprising (and refreshing) dialogue was the de-escalation from the Trump camp. No pointing of fingers from that side.
There was (still is) of course, a lot of finger-pointing from the general public. Much of it well-deserved. There are very serious questions the Secret Service must face.
How a 20-year-old pimple faced simpleton could get a rifle on one of the most targeted (and presumedly most protected) men of the 21st century and squeeze the trigger 7 times was beyond comprehension. But the colossal and countless failures of the Secret Service continued as long as they were photographed. They showed the world how unprepared, untrained, unprofessional and unqualified the elite protection group has become.
Of course, there is a chorus of clapping seals standing with the Secret Service’s actions despite the obvious and continuing display of leadership, selection and training failures.
But there’s one thing we’ve not heard a single person question. Why was such an untrained, unprofessional and careless group allowed to carry (and use) guns around so many innocent people?
Think About it…
Had these scenes been of a pastor on stage with an armed group of volunteer defenders springing to action, every news agency in America would have a collage of pictures of every gun seen on the protection team declaring how lucky we are that more innocent bystanders weren’t injured or killed.
After all, it’s the guns that are the problem, right? We can’t allow them into the same space as innocent bystanders because those things are dangerous, right?
Guns were all over the place on that stage and enroute to the car. Yet not one of them jumped out of a holster and injured innocent people (although, one gun could not find its way back into its holster – almost like a magical magnetic difference was keeping it out).
What is the real reason critics rail against armed defenders but don’t even notice it when used for a politician? Dare they say it’s due to a lack of training? Compared to who?
It’s not about guns. It’s about protection ignorance.
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