Attempted murder is no laughing matter, and the memes regarding the assassination attempt aren’t funny
Almost as soon as the footage of Trump being wounded hit the internet, the avalanche of memes started — some almost clever, most tasteless and some downright cruel.
I responded to a few friends who sent me what they thought I would find humorous. In truth, I find none of them funny. Attempted murder is not a laughing matter, and the fact that so many people find it good fodder for jokes speaks volumes about the sad state of political discourse in our country and about our country in general.
The motives of the shooter, who was actually a registered Republican, may never be known, but the effects of his act will resonate with us for a long time. Donald Trump, convicted felon and cult-like leader of the GOP, has long tried to frame himself as a martyr. After the shooting, he could march into the Republican convention as a wounded hero.
Once again, Trump has managed to suck all the air out of the room when it comes to the news cycle. Albeit an unplanned event, the attempted assassination drew the media spotlight squarely on Trump, exactly where he likes it. The dramatic photos of him raising his fist and shouting to the crowd will no doubt become memes of their own.
This shooting also could serve as a cautionary tale about gun violence and the availability of military weapons to the general public, but not in these unsettling times. Instead, I suspect the gun-crazed right will only see this as another reason to go out and buy more guns. I am sure that, as I write this, the NRA is working to spin this event to their favor.
Meanwhile, the press corps is carrying the water for Trump with every story of a slip of the tongue by President Biden. Focusing on Biden’s age and not his record is an easy task; it plays into the trope that age immediately makes one less cognizant rather than the opposite of being more experienced and seasoned.
I am sure the memes about this will soon follow.
But I refuse to give up hope that our country can recover from this low point in history. Our economy is chugging along as inflation continues to slow. Violent crime continues to fall even though opinion surveys show Americans believe it is rising. I chalk that up to political rhetoric — the same rhetoric that stokes fear of immigrants and, most likely, is re-enforced with social media memes.
Once again the dreaded meme seems to have more sway than facts. Or decency. Or civility.
I have a history of working in advertising and marketing, and I am well aware of the value of a short, snappy message that sticks in your mind. Good ones reinforce positive images for a product or service, and bad ones end up haunting advertising textbooks for decades.
In this era of the meme, I am convinced that should Jesus return today, he would speak in memes, not parables. Memes are “sticky,” much like stories, and can sweep social media like the wind.
With that in mind, I propose a project:
As painful as it might be, don’t retweet that latest tasteless meme depicting this violent act as a joke.
As tough as it might be, refrain from reposting that mean-spirited-captioned photo on Facebook.
As funny as you might find the next insulting meme about the current or ex-President, delete it.
We can lower the level of violent and uncivil rhetoric in our country, but only if we take the initiative to do it ourselves.
We live in a country that values free speech. It’s about time we speak about values — our values. Inclusion, equality, civility, collegiality, compassion, empathy will do for a start.
We the people have power beyond just the ballot box, and how we talk to each other will be reflected not just in the votes we cast but the society we nurture and create.
Hardy Haberman is a longtime local LGBT activist and board chair for the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. His blog is at DungeonDiary.blogspot.com.