Trump rallies, known for their vitriol and violent rhetoric, became "joyful gatherings" of people there to enjoy music and food and see their preferred candidate speak. These crowds, who cheered suggestions of violence on others, were now, suddenly traumatized by it. Even as Trump was brought up to his feet his first words were "fight". The difference of course is that Trump is a "worthy" victim.
Trump started out his political career rousing crowds to cheer for his opponent to be jailed. He offered to pay the legal fees of someone at a rally if they attacked someone in the crowd who opposed Trumps views. He waxed nostalic for the days when someone like that would be "carried out on a stretcher"
When Biden's campaign bus was run off the road during the campaign, there was no condemnation of political violence on the right. Comments accompanying the video made excuses, blamed the Biden vehicles and even laughed and joked that the Trump supporters just merely escorting the bus to make sure it got there safe. There was no condemnation of the violence by the right.
Now llets talk about the insurrection.Trump followers not only justified their violent attack on the capital, which included chants of "Hang Mike Pence", the construction of a gallows, the brutal assault on capital police and threats against members of the house including house leader Nanci Pelosi, but they celebrated it. They depicted those who participated as patriots and those prosecuted as martyrs.
And what about when an attacker broke into Nancy Pelosis home, wanting to kidnap and possibly torture and kill her? The attacker finding, she wasn't home, brutally assaulted her husband with a hammer. What didn't right wing do? They cast disgusting, evidence-free dispersions on her husband insinuating that he was engaged in some kind of homosexual relationship with his attacker. In the comments under these videos are all kinds of conspiracy theories and complaints about how the police in San Francisco never arrest anyone but they are going to throw the book at this guy. And how there was a police cover up. But what you don't see are any condemnations of the attackers violence.
There is an unwavering consistency in these types of events. When someone on the right is attacked, people on the left condemn the bad act and say that violence is wrong. When someone on the left is attacked, the right laughs, mocks, justifies and cheers the attack, not once condemning it.
Today as all the right wing floods the media to condemn this attempted assassination of Trump, wringing their hands about "violent rhetoric" it feels dystopian. The right has the absolute ability to shut off their capacity to hold themselves to the same standard by which they judge others.
There are so many examples. The bullseye on a political opponents face, the violent video posted by a Republican member of Congress depicting the murder of democratic member of Congress, the constant hopeful talk on the right of a new civil war, in which they will be free to commit violent acts on whoever they deem to be "the enemy".
Reason for all this double standard is because the right sees its own as worthy victims. Those on the right are castt as good people victimized by leftists while the left are cast as those who must be punished or purged from society and therefore deserve what happens to them.
Rather than calling out this history of violent rhetoric and its natural result- real violence- the media says they want to "avoid a tit for tat" that will only lead to an "escalation" of rhetoric.
This of course is absolute nonsense. And if the media keeps bringing a pillow to a gun fight, they will only act as the best silencer for their own assassins.
