When violence is acceptable

Plus, time to focus on the economy

This weekend feels like a powder keg of division. Someone apparently targeted and attacked two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, killing one of the couples and wounding the other. President Donald Trump sent in the U.S. military to combat people protesting his administration’s deportations of suspected undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, other protesters showed up in various American cities to demonstrate against Trump’s actions as part of the “No Kings” movement. Trump committed tens of millions of tax dollars for a military parade that also fell on his 79^th birthday.

(Illustration created by AI.)

It is a lot.

Let’s start with the awful developments out of Minnesota. Authorities believe a 57-year-old man named Vance Boelter targeted two Minnesota legislators at their homes in the early morning hours Saturday.

He killed one lawmaker and her husband, police say, and he critically wounded another legislator and his wife. The attacks were politically motivated, authorities said. Police said that the suspect had information about the “No Kings” anti-Trump protests in his vehicle and a manifesto with names of potential Democratic targets. His roommate said that he was a Trump supporter.

Question: What were your first thoughts when you heard about this? Were you shocked? Or did you almost expect something like this to happen eventually in this politically toxic environment that we have?

I would assume…desperately hope…that no one who reads this column would ever think that Boelter’s suspected actions could be justified in any way, right?

Immigration Protests

What about the protests in places like Los Angeles because of Trump’s policies to round up people who are suspected of being in the country illegally? There have been reports that protesters have attacked law enforcement. “People in the crowd are throwing rocks, bricks, bottles and other objects,” L.A. police posted on social media.

Question: Do you support protesters throwing objects at law enforcement? What about if their violence prevents a suspected undocumented immigrant from getting arrested? Or is neither scenario an acceptable reason to throw something at officers or interfere with their official duties?

Trump Threat

“IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!” Trump said after calling in the National Guard and the Marines after protests grew in California.

Question: Do you agree that Trump should have called in the military because of the protests? Do you find it hypocritical that he is threatening that protesters will get hit if they spit on guard or military members when some Trump supporters did much worse to law enforcement on January 6, 2021? They tried to stop Congress from certifying Trump’s loss, Four years later, Trump pardoned them for their crimes.

Is Violence Ever Justified?

I honestly would like to know what most people think about what is happening right now. Do you only care about threats and violence if someone who thinks like you do politically is targeted? Do you think that violence is sometimes necessary to try to stop something that you feel is not good for the country?

Or do you believe that protesters shouldn’t commit violence against law enforcement, and law enforcement should not show physical aggression toward protesters? Do you believe that political violence is a growing threat in our country, and we have to find a way soon to diffuse it?

U.S. Senate Race

State Senator Zach Wahls, a Democrat from Iowa City, became the third from this party to announce a campaign for the seat of U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, the two-term Republican from Iowa. Watch Wahls’ interview on this week’s “Inside Iowa Politics” and see if you agree with him on what his priority should be during this campaign.

Keeping It Local

I knew Rob Taylor when he was a state representative. These days, Taylor and his wife, Dr. Christi Taylor, own Revelton Distillery in Osceola, Iowa. Taylor explained to me why they make sourcing local (when possible) part of their business plan. Here is how they do it.

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