In this strange dystopia we seem to have stumbled into in the most recent race for the White House, whether it was through crossing over into a parallel universe in which Donald Trump is universally adored or otherwise, it is beginning to erupt into some sick, sad black comedy.
During a recent rally, headlines rang out across social media and news conglomerates everywhere that Trump, the adequately coined “chaos candidate” (courtesy of some guy named Jeb Bush) has proven himself, once again, to be a complete and utter human disaster. Not even The Onion could make up what this man said as eloquently and barbaric as it literally happened in real life.
During his bourgeoisie march across Iowa at a specific campaign rally at the Sioux Center, Trump boasted his popularity in an illustrious attempt to sound mythical.
“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Trump said.
Let’s take a moment to repeat that sentence in our heads. Now, picture images you affiliate with that of a president and then that of a thirteen-year-old punk who likes to set small fires in his free time.
The voting aspect aside, I would expect this phrase to be uttered from the mouth of the punk. What would people have said if Obama had said something like this during his campaign? Would Abraham Lincoln be the respectable leader he was if, during the Gettysburg address he said, “Fourscore and seven years ago, I could have fired a musket at a southern slave owner and probably nothing would happen.” That’s not to mention Trump’s nauseous efforts to prove that his second runner-up in the GOP ballot, Ted Cruz, is not actually an American.
Even though Cruz was born in Canada, his parents were American citizens, and the Constitution is very clear in that matter regarding presidential candidacy. Even though both men are problematic to the billionth degree (see: Cruz’s policy to “carpet bomb” entire cities), Cruz has made it clear that he will have nothing to do with it.
When asked after the rally what he thought about the shooting comment, Cruz was composed but selfaware.
“I will let Donald speak for himself,” Cruz said. “I can say I have no intention of shooting anybody in this campaign.”
In the veil of recent mass shooting incidents and gun controversy, Trump is a thorn in the side of victims and families of these shootings. He’s a bitter reminder that there are sick, twisted men who fantasize about shooting people and that we live in a country where those kinds of men can run for the highest office in the union.
Trump’s comments are overzealous and inhumane, and we need to see it as such.