The 2016 presidential election will be the first presidential election where I have the right to vote, and what an election it has been. The unprecedented rise of Donald Trump has lead to the fracturing of the Republican Party, which has been divided between pro-Trump and anti-Trump factions. However, what I have noticed is the escalation of violence, the decay of peaceful protest, and the decline in respect for freedom of speech.
Before I go on I would also like to mention that this article is by no means an endorsement of Donald Trump, but the majority of violence in this election seems to be directed towards his campaign. In the past week, anarchy has erupted at his rallies like it never has before. At a rally in Ohio, a protester tried to rush at Trump but was tackled before he could do anything. Despite this man committing a crime, CNN interviewed the 22-year-old Thomas Dimassimo. According to Dimassimo's twitter, his goal was to become a “martyr” and tweeted the following before his attempt to confront Trump:
After scanning this man’s Twitter I began to surmise that his views were not only radical but incredibly disturbing. Death threats against Trump have been so prominent that some reports claim Trump now has to wear a bulletproof vest at every rally he goes to. By attempting to humanize DiMassimo, the media are condoning belligerent attacks against Trump. It sends a message that an attempt to physically harm those who you disagree with can make you famous. We as a society should not give people like DiMassimo a platform that anyone can be a celebrity, as long as they attempt to attack political candidates. I believe that if any protester tried to attack Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, the media would be in a frenzy.
The reality is, when media outlets give people like Dimassimo air time, others will likely attempt to copy him to gain political popularity. I can understand the media’s position as an industry that survives on ratings, but where do we draw the line? Peaceful protests are part of our democracy, but when the safety of others is put at risk, it discourages people from having an opinion.
Trump is not the only one receiving threats, his supporters have also been abused for showing their support. For example, according to an interview on Fox Business News, one woman that had two Trump signs in her yard had her home vandalized and covered with anti-Trump graffiti. Whatever candidate you support in this election, no one deserves to be harassed for having different views.
When Donald Trump decided to cancel his rally in Chicago due to violent protests, thousands who waited to hear his ideas were prevented from doing so. It seems like we’re seeing more brawls than debates, and it only sets a bad example for future generations on how to deal with those that differ from us politically. If you really want to stop Trump or any candidate for that matter, I suggest that you get out and vote instead of fueling more hate.
