Sam Fields Opines: Donald Trump Needs To Think Before He Speaks
BY SAM FIELDS
My earliest Presidential election recollection is Eisenhower versus Stevenson in 1952. Since then I have paid increasing attention to each election. I have even worked on a few.
No matter how nasty they got I have never heard anything that approached what spills out of the mouth of Donald Trump. He has called his opponent Hillary Clinton a crook, a traitor and that the only way he loses is if the election is rigged. He has encouraged violence against protestors.
His supporters have called for Hillary Clinton to be jailed, hanged and shot.
He has not too subtly suggested that if she is elected it might to be necessary for defenders of the Second Amendment to kill her.
While we all know this is just part of his election marketing plan, it does not matter. What matters is that one nut job might believe that Trump is sending him a “special message”.
Words matter.
On April 10, 1901 newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst’s influential New York Journal attacked President William McKinley in an editorial that ended with the following words: “Institutions, like men, will last until they die; and if bad institutions and bad men can be got rid of only by killing, then the killing must be done.” Hearst columnist Ambrose Bierce wrote that a bullet “is speeding here to stretch McKinley on his bier.”
Although Leon Czolgosz said he shot McKinley several weeks later because of his “socialist anarchist” views, the Hearst newspapers were blamed for creating a toxic atmosphere. Secretary of State Elihu Root accused Hearst of driving the “weak and excitable brain of Czolgosz” to murder.
Four Presidents that have been assassinated. Three — Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy — were killed by mentally unstable if not insane persons.
There have been at least 30 attempted assassinations of Presidents and Presidential candidates. Some were political plots by extremist groups such as Puerto Rican Nationalists.
But most attempts were lone wolves who had mental and/or alcohol problems.
It goes back at least to the man who tried to kill President Andrew Jackson. The wacko failed and spent the rest of his life a mental hospital.
A former mailman truly went “postal” by plotting to drive his car full of dynamite into a car carrying Kennedy. He was arrested and spent years in prisons and mental institutions.
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme was a groupie following Charles Manson, the murderous cult leader. In September 1975, she took a shot at President Jerry Ford. Fromme’s motives were confused, like all the followers of Manson. Convinced that the president’s policy were threatening California’s famed redwoods, Fromme believed the assassination attempt would call attention to the tree’s plight.
John Hinckley also was mental. He thought that killing President Ronald Reagan would cement his relationship with actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley had never met Ms. Foster and the relationship was all in his addled mind.
Another mental cases tried to kill Bill Clinton by crashing his single engine plane into the White House. He ended up only killed himself.
Today we are dealing with Donald Trump and his loose tongue.
Statistically, some of Trump’s followers suffer from emotional and mental problems combined with simmering anger at society.
In the last few years, if there is one thing we have learned from all our mass shootings it is that it doesn’t take much to push a nut job over the top.
Donald Trump needs to shut his mouth.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that is going to happen. I just hope the Secret Service is on their toes.
August 18th, 2016 at 8:49 am
Typical liberal, leftist lies. Vote for Trump!!!
August 18th, 2016 at 10:57 am
@1 Roland Thomas is entitled to his opinion of Counsellor Fields’ politics BUT HE ROLAND THOMAS LIES WHEN HE REFERS TO COUNSELLOR FIELDS BLOG POSTINGS.
I may or may not agree with Counsellor Fields BUT HE HAS NOT LIED.
That’s what is wrong with the Left loonies and right loonies THEY CALL OTHERS’FACTS FROM HISTORY OR SCIENCE. OR EXPERTISE THEY DONT HAVE ‘Lies’
August 18th, 2016 at 2:07 pm
“Statistically, some of Trump’s followers suffer from emotional and mental problems combined with simmering anger at society.”
And statistically, some of Clinton’s followers are living in poverty in neighborhoods where young people use stolen guns to shoot other young people. They are also simmering with anger at society.
Thankfully, Trump’s big mouth has opened some dialog about the real problems in America. Many of the other Republican wannabes would still be dancing around issues and not calling out the Clintons and Obama on thing one.
Democracy and freedom of speech must not be taken for granted or silenced.
August 18th, 2016 at 3:54 pm
But But But Trump isn’t supposed to say this kind of stuff to The Progressive Liberals!!!
Who else has had the guts to accuse the Democrats of keeping the Black Community on the Democrat Plantation–enslaved by Food Stamps & Section 8? Who else has had the guts to call Hillary a bigot? Obviously nobody in the GOP.
The “Ruling Class” still hasn’t figured Trump out and it will be too late when they finally do.
August 18th, 2016 at 4:05 pm
The world is coming to an end. We need a reality TV show host to save us all.
– Not The Onion
August 18th, 2016 at 4:17 pm
Where are The Donald’s Tax Returns?…
August 18th, 2016 at 4:49 pm
Fields thinks Trump should think before he speaks. There’s the kettle calling the pot black…
August 18th, 2016 at 10:35 pm
That was well written, Mr. Fields. Agree 100%. Personally, I find the fake billionaire to be the worst republican nominee in history.
I see you have some nice seats at Marlins Park. Great place for a game.
August 18th, 2016 at 11:17 pm
Based on the Title of Article: Everyone should Think before they Speak…
Rico Petrocelli
August 19th, 2016 at 1:22 pm
Sam, thanks for a well written article.
August 20th, 2016 at 10:31 am
Right on, Sam! Good perspective on a scary, dangerous man.
August 24th, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Counsellor Fields n everyone else on this blog does not personally know Mr. Trump which I did FROM NEW YORK CITY DEMOCRATIC POLITICS.
It’s horrendous
1. Attacks on our fellow Mexican-Americans irregardless of their ‘papers’.
2. Attacks on Fourth Generation Naval Hero US Senator John McCaine
3. Attacks on our fellow Muslim-Americans and Muslims WHO SUFFER THE MOST FROM ISLAMIC TERRORISTS
4. Insensitive comments on Ladies including Megan Kelly
5. Calling former US Senator n Secretary of State Hon. Hillary Rodham Clinton ‘crooked Hiliary’ which she is NOT
Sadly Counsellor Fields has it RIGHT.