Where Is The America I once knew?

Throughout my life, I have been tuned to the United States. I did all my primary, high school, university and chiropractic studies in Toronto, not too far from the U.S. border. The first time that I visited the U.S. was to see my cousins in Chicago, in 1958. I can remember I was in awe of America. While it was similar in many ways to Canada, it was different; it had a soul.

When I got older and could drive myself, I took most of my holidays in the U.S. My first car was American, a 1956 Chevy which I bought from my dad.

In America, there were plenty of scenic wonders to pique your interest. The cities were dynamic and multicultural and people were friendly. Of course in the 50s and 60s, most of the scientific discoveries and research came out of the U.S.

What I appreciated the most about America were the freedom and individualism. While America did have its problems with racism, this was not foreign to me, because my parents who were European, experienced discrimination and antisemitism in Canada––yes in Canada––with those nice Canadians you hear about all the time.

Things in America started to turn when President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 followed by the killings of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, the brother of JFK. America was still America despite these tragedies. When I had the opportunity to live there for a couple of years in 1992 and 93 I found it still a vibrant country, very patriotic and with respect––sometimes grudgingly––for the office of the Presidency.

There have been other attempts on a President’s life; Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan both escaped death. Then we come to the incident of a couple of days ago when Trump literally escaped death by a hair. What makes this recent event so different, are the events leading up to it.

There have been conflicts throughout America’s history but since 2008, the political landscape has become downright vicious. At times it seems that America is on the edge of descending into a real civil war.

Since Trump came on the scene nine years ago in the political realm, America has become so polarized, the invective so extreme, that the event we saw on July 13 was almost expected. 

The vitriol against Trump was at times depicted by body language. In the case of Nancy Pelosi, at the end of one of Trump’s State of the Union speeches, there was little doubt what she was thinking.

After the attempted assassination, Joe Biden came out and spoke of the need to temper down the rhetoric. I think this rings hollow. It’s amazing, because he has been continuously attacking Trump calling him a fascist, dictator and many other pejoratives. He and his sycophants in the media have been projecting over and over the idea that Trump is a danger to America, that he will end democracy and take away people’s rights. It’s pure rubbish, but over time many believe it and it’s just a matter of time before some deranged person tries to take matters into his own hands.

The following is what Biden said in a recent speech at the Manhattan Center in New York.

“Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are attacking the most basic values and freedoms as Americans: the right to be yourself, the right to make your own health decisions, the right to marry the person you love, the right to raise your own children.”

“Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation.  He’s a threat to our freedom, he’s a threat to our democracy, and he’s a literally a threat to all we stand for as a nation. “

The whole environment in America has been so toxic. and With the attempted assassination of Trump, it seems America can’t go much lower––except for one thing. Much of the criticism directed at Trump has been about his character. That was put to rest because when Trump was shot, he showed tremendous character, bravery and leadership. The fist pump after being shot is something that will remain as an iconic portrait of the man. He demonstrated that he has grit and is a fighter.

Despite all the lawfare against Trump: the Russia collusion scam, the two impeachments, the conviction in New York, the federal charges for retaining classified documents and now being shot––thankfully, not fatally, Trump has shown himself to be a courageous leader. Few could have tolerated what this man has been through.

Now it seems that the planets have lined up. On top of Trump dodging a real bullet, he dodged a legal bullet, the decision to throw out the documents case in Florida because the special counsel was unconstitutionally appointed by Biden’s Justice Department. 

Donald Trump looks unstoppable and will get re-elected in November, possibly by a landslide. America may just come out of the hole that it has dug itself into.