“Hell is truth seen too late.” Those were the words of 17th century political philosopher Thomas Hobbes who pioneered the idea of a social contract. It was the beginning of a political philosophy that would give way to John Locke, Thomas Paine, and eventually the United States of America.
What his nation witnessed on July 13th, 2024 was indeed truth seen too late. Regardless of one’s leanings, the entire world was relieved that former president Trump survived an assassination. Political violence is not sometimes bad, it is always bad. It begets a cycle of vengeance that is not easy to unwind.
That was the context in which Hobbes wrote his famed work, Leviathan, as he was a first hand witness to the English Civil War. In the wake of a modern assassination attempt on a former president we need but look to history as to what comes next.
Shots Fired at Trump Rally in Butler, PA Did Donald Trump Get Shot? Political Violence in the United States 2024 Preparing for Civil Unrest The Role of Social Media and News Outlets The Next Presidential Election: A Turning Point? Words of Wisdom from the Founding Fathers An Open Letter to AmericaTable of Contents
Source: NPR
Shots Fired at Trump Rally in Butler, PA
Butler, Pennsylvania is a small town roughly 20 miles from Pittsburgh that was thrust into the global spotlight on July 13th. With Pennsylvania being a hotly contested battleground state, Trump was present at a rally attended by thousands in order to bolster support. Shortly after he began speaking, shots rang out at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and altered the course of discourse in this nation.
The early reports are that eight shots were fired from roughly 130 yards away. The location was a rooftop adjacent to the venue and what could only be described as an obvious high risk location. The shooter is reported to be a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks. Though former President Trump is safe, the bullet did graze his ear. Trump had blood running down the side of his face due to the shot. While Trump was rushed offstage, the incident did put a stain on an otherwise peaceful campaign.
Though Trump was injured, there was another person who was shot and killed by the bullets. What happened at the Trump rally is just a sign that things are likely to get worse before they get better. Though he was rushed off the stage and released a statement saying that he was grateful to the Secret Service, many have been asking questions about the shooting at a rally in broad daylight.
How a young man was able to get so close to the President with an AR style rifle and fire off 8 shots before being killed by a counter sniper will haunt the Secret Service for decades. In every way one can imagine this was a catastrophic failure of security and highlights the point that this nation is one AR wielding kid away from catastrophe and chaos. It is a discernible truth that secret service agents at a campaign rally should have been more prepared for such a threat.
Minutes after Trump was taken off sage, the Secret Service had neutralized the threat, and released a statement confirmed that former Trump is safe following the attack. This incident was also investigated as an assassination attempt, and it wasn't long before more details started coming out about why this man was there at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania.
Did Donald Trump Get Shot?
President Donald Trump began speaking at approximately 6:05 EST to an enthusiastic crowd at his campaign rally in Butler, PA. The first shots rang out at approximately 6:11 EST as Trump felt the snap and crack of a bullet flying in his direction and took cover. The Secret Service then swarmed the stage to protect the former President.
It is reported by popular media channels like NBC News that attendees of the rally first noticed the gunman and alerted local police who had primary responsibility for the building adjacent to the venue. As the shooter low-crawled into position, there are some indications that he was spotted by police which may have prompted the shooter to take early hasty shots. This may have been responsible for the lack of accuracy at such a short distance.
A bullet grazed the President’s ear causing him to seek cover while shards of a teleprompter also struck his face. Shortly after the initial shots were fired a counter sniper took out the would-be assassin. Trump was rushed off stage, but not before pumping a fist to the crowd and shouting the word “fight.” It was a close call for the former President and a close call for the nation as a whole.
The secret service agents in charge of protecting Trump that day have some explaining to do as to why it was such a close call. President Biden was briefed on the shooting and said in a statement “There is no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”
Political Violence in the United States 2024
The team here at MIRA Safety is committed to ensuring that families across this great nation are prepared for the day that most people dread. Admittedly, we long for a nation where our industry is not necessary. We’re confident in our entrepreneurial abilities and the moment the world requires more rainbows and cupcakes than gas masks or ballistic armor, consider us ready for the challenge.
Unfortunately, the shooting at former President Donald Trump reminds us that such a world is not our current reality. The past decade has shown us riots related to police conduct, seasons of racial tension, questions about the integrity of our elections and now an assassination attempt on a former President seeking to reclaim the White House. We ignore that reality at our own peril.
There is no evidence to suggest that the next six months will do anything other than ratchet up the tension as we approach the election of 2024 in November. At this point, it doesn’t matter which side wins as the losing side will view that loss as an existential threat. Remarkably, that may still be the best case scenario we could face given the level of polarization we now face.
Had the shooter at Trump’s rally properly accounted for the wind or demonstrated better breath control and trigger squeeze, we could have been on the precipice of open partisan conflict after the shooting at Pennsylvania rally. It is not speculation to say that this nation is a powderkeg and that the elimination of a major player is all the spark that is needed.
We wish it were not so, but it would be misleading to tell you otherwise. Former President Trump and everyone else breathed a collective sigh of relief after the apparent shooting. The Trump campaign even released a photo-op right after, as the former President Donald Trump was rushed off stage by Secret Service agents. Though Trump was escorted safely, Corey Comperatore, a member of the audience, lost his life due to the incident at the Trump rally.
Source: Envato
Preparing for Civil Unrest
From a pragmatic standpoint, one needs to prepare for civil unrest to erupt at a moment’s notice. Had the shooter found his mark on July 13th, it is entirely likely that civil unrest could have erupted before the 14th ever dawned. As such, there are going to be a few questions that you’ll have to answer immediately and the more you’ve thought them out prior to the crisis the more likely you are to make the right decision.
The first question you will want to ask yourself is if you want to ride this crisis out in place or bug out until things have calmed down. To assist you with that question, we’ve put together a helpful guide on sheltering in place versus bugging out. A great deal of that decision will be based on your location at the time. How close are you to likely civil unrest and how long will it take for help to get there should you find yourself in a serious pickle.
You’ll also want to consider what happens if you drive up on civil unrest that you didn’t anticipate. Ever since Reginald Denny drove up on civil unrest in L.A. during the Rodney King riots, the reality of those images are hard to erase from one’s mind. It is always a good idea to keep a car emergency kit on hand so that you are never forced to travel down a road just to get to supplies and safety.
Finally, you’ll want to consider what a prolonged period of civil unrest will do to supply chains. Civil unrest eventually abates at one point or another, but how long you can wait it out depends on your food supply. We are pragmatic at MIRA Safety and not apocalyptic. Order will return sooner or later. It is just a question of whether or not you can wait it out. It also wouldn’t hurt to be armed to the teeth in order to defend your food supplies from those who didn’t prepare, but we think that goes without saying. Again, we don’t care how you prepare so long as you do.
Source: Envato
The Role of Social Media and News Outlets
Social media and the 24 hour news cycle is another reason that we think things are more likely to get worse before they get better. Famed anthropologist and biologist E.O. Wilson famously stated that “the real problem with humanity is that we have paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology.” Meaning the human mind isn’t capable of processing the amount of information that comes our way without reverting to survival mode.
We consume what makes us feel better and there is no short supply of it these days. We shun information that conflicts with our worldview and the echo chamber which results is less than helpful. Making matters worse, there is a profit incentive for news companies to cater to the leanings of their known audience. The result is what is known as the partisan doom loop.
One thing is clear: we are becoming increasingly polarized. It didn't take long after former President Trump was taken away that statements started pouring in, with some people stating that they were praying for Trump and were hopeful that a second Trump term would help put an end to such incidents.
Elon Musk, one of the richest men in the world, spoke out against the apparent attack on President Trump. He also put out a statement which leaves no doubt that Elon Musk endorses Trump, and is committing $45 million a month to help him in the election. An official told NBC news in a statement that the former President was in good spirits after the rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that there was no serious injury.
The Next Presidential Election: A Turning Point?
We think that you will agree that the 2024 elections marks a major turning point in this nation’s history. Either we will find a way to come together or we will further the divide in this nation. We pray for the former, but we must prepare for the latter. Each side feels the outcome of this election is tantamount to the survival of this nation.
With our paleolithic emotions as E.O. Wilson pointed out, we will interpret the outcome of this nation through the lens of our own survival. Friends, we’re not sure if you’ve noticed, but humans are rarely polite and lawful when faced with their own demise. There is a reasonable chance that the attempted assassin viewed his actions through that very very lens.
Shooting a President seems illogical until you realize that this kid may have thought his own survival was at stake. We don’t know how conservatives will react if Trump loses. We don’t know how liberals will react if Biden loses. All we can say with certainty is that whoever loses will react. Prepare as you must accordingly.
Words of Wisdom from the Founding Fathers
In his farewell address, George Washington famously warned about the dangers of partisanship. In that address he spoke about how the alternate domination of one party over the other and their coinciding efforts to exact revenge upon the other was “itself a frightful despotism.” It is hard to look at the state of modern politics and disagree with Washington’s assessment.
On the other hand, James Madison saw political parties as essential to liberty as ambition was to check ambition and limit the scope of the government. He stated that “no free country has ever been without parties, which are a natural offspring of freedom.” In modernity, progressives exist because sometimes the only way forward is through progress. Conservatives exist because while progress is often called for, we can’t forget the lessons we have already learned.
The attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump must be noted for what it is. Namely, nothing new under the sun. Our founding fathers would not be the least bit confused as to the circumstances that brought us here today.
As a nation, we would do well to heed their wisdom in this perilous moment and seek unity. We must find a way to resolve our differences. We pray that we are so successful in that endeavor that the market for body armor and gas masks drops to zero. Until then, we stay frosty and we prepare this nation for the worst.
An Open Letter to America
Consider this article our own personal open letter to America in the wake of the events at the rally in Butler. First and foremost, calm down America. Heed the founding father’s wisdom and unite. Only second to that, our open letter is a call to protect your families regardless of the outcome. If some 20 year old kid can nearly send this nation to the edge of the abyss, preparing for the worst is the only logical course of action. That is the simple truth and as we said when we began this article, hell is truth seen too late.
The shots fired at rally members and the untimely death of a fire chief will only divide the country further. Former President Barack Obama even spoke out against the shooting at Donald Trump, telling the country to calm down.
As we gear up for this election, it's imperative that you prioritize your safety and take measures to protect yourself and your family. At MIRA Safety, we offer time-tested products to help you do just that.