Horror in Pennsylvania

The dominating news story Saturday was someone getting a shot at the ex-President Donald Trump as he spoke to a rally in Butler, Pa.
A bullet apparently grazed his ear but thankfully the Republican nominee was not seriously injured and the GOP’s nominating convention in Milwaukee, which he said was a horrible city, will go one as promised. I am a Republican but I don’t support Trump.

These are divisive political times. It could have just as easily been a shot at the sitting President.

I avoid typing Trump’s name, and I refer to him as the ex-President because of the disgraceful way he handled his time in office. If “once a Marine, always a Marine” is a thing, “Once a President always a President” is also a thing unless you have been dishonorably discharged. Then you are an ex-Marine, or an ex-President, especially if you have been twice impeached, convicted of 34 felonies and banned from doing business in New York.

A loved one works for a newspaper in Butler but was not at the site of the rally or working Saturday. He sent us a photo Friday of a trailer in town to sell merchandise to supporters.

The same sort of gear was for sale this weekend at the Pirate Festival in Olcott’s Krull Park.

My “Make America Great Again” hat is made in Bangladesh. I used to wear it and write about what people would say, sort of like Borat, but Beth asked me not to any more

The gear for sale in Krull Park had all the imagery of these divisive times, including flags featuring “Rambo Trump” and “God, Guns and Trump” and more.

I struck up a conversation with the vendor.

“Disappointed to see only the authentic ‘Made in China’ stuff for sale,” I said. “I prefer the knockoffs made in Bangladesh because they are cheaper. Why support capitalism?”

“We need to put America First and put our President back inside,” he said with a supportive tone that meant he didn’t hear a word I said.

“We need to protect and defend the Constitution, not turn toward fascism,” I said.

I wanted to engage further but I could see where it was going, somehow he thought I was on his side. I walked away. We all need to do that more often.

Here’s an account of President Theodore Roosevelt, in Milwaukee, taking a bullet through his 50-page speech and into his body, making a speech anyway and then going to the hospital for treatment. Get ready to hear about Roosevelt from horrible Milwaukee.

https://www.history.com/news/shot-in-the-chest-100-years-ago-teddy-roos…