EDITORIAL: We must be vigilant to prevent political violence

Americans are noted for their willingness express their patriotism by belting out their national anthem.

At official ceremonies they can be a familiar sight, hands on their hearts as they proudly proclaim their allegiance to “the land of the free and the home of the brave”.

But what are we to make of the United States today?

How would we characterise the nation in the wake of yet another bout of politically motivated violence — once again directed towards President Donald Trump.

The US has become disturbingly prone to acts of violence.

So commonplace have mass shootings become that they are not even regarded as unusual any more.

And the country’s access to guns means that too often the scale of the violence is truly sickening.

But if there is one word that can be applied to modern America perhaps it is this: divided.

Even before the election of Mr Trump — twice — the divisions were clear.

Mr Trump of course is a divisive character.

But it is deeply disturbing to consider that the leader of a nation which argues it prizes free speech has been the target of three assassination attempts.

Mr Trump was wounded by a would-be assassin during a rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. Had he moved his head slightly a second earlier the outcome would have been very different.

Then that September, a man set up a sniper’s nest outside Mr Trump’s golf course in Florida, and was spotted by Secret Service agents.

And then came the weekend attempt by gunman Cole Allen, who attempted to storm the ballroom of the hotel where Mr Trump was attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

True to his nature, Mr Trump brushed aside the latest threat, arguing that only meaningful presidents were targeted.

“It comes with the territory, and if you want to do a great job . . . take a look at what’s happened to some of our greatest presidents. It doesn’t happen to people that don’t do anything,” he said.

The attempt should ensure we take a close look at Australia’s position.

We too value freedom and the right to be heard.

But fortunately we do not share the American obsession with allowing guns to circulate freely. That is not to say we are immune to it.

The horror of the Bondi shootings this year is proof of that. But it should be another reminder of how we must never get complacent.

It is abundantly and distressingly clear that extreme views from both sides of the political spectrum have seeped into public discourse in this country.

This has become evident on the streets, which have seen violent demonstrations since the murderous Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Historically Australia has followed and in many regards mimicked US society and culture for a long time.

The weekend’s events must be a pathway we avoid.

It means a redoubling of the need to ensure that where we disagree it does not escalate into violence.

Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dore.