There has been a recent lull in violence from the supporters of Donald Trump, despite the fact that the Republican presidential candidate has actually encouraged his fanbase to act out their violent tendencies. Unfortunately, their peaceful streak is over after several instances of overt violence at Trump rallies, including one in Asheville, NC.
The violence at the Asheville rally wasn’t contained to a single event. In many cases where violent supporters of Trump have aggregated, their violence extends to multiple cases within the convention, and this recent rally in Asheville was no different. There were several attacks against peaceful protesters at the rally, and there were five Trump supporters arrested at the event. Another two Trump supporters have arrest warrants issued for them thanks to their behavior at the rally.
The most disturbing attack that occurred that Monday night in Asheville actually took place right outside the doors of the rally in its aftermath. Shirley Teter, a 69-year-old peaceful protester who uses an oxygen tank, was hit by a Trump supporter in her face. The man was later identified as a native of Edisto Island, SC, by the name of Richard Campbell.
The situation apparently escalated rather quickly, so much so that Teter believed the situation was funny up until the moment she was struck in the face. A Trump supporter had approached her upon seeing her Anti-Trump garb and struck up what should have been a healthy debate. Teter politely spoke with Campbell, and they had a back-and-forth that seemed nearly comical.
Teter then made a comment that didn’t sit well with Campbell. She joked about how Trump had such close ties with Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator, and that Trump supporters need to start learning how to speak Russian now. Apparently Campbell didn’t like that idea, because he stopped and punched Teter in the face without any warning. The old woman fell over her oxygen tank and ended up with a few bruised ribs, a bruised jaw, and a gash on her elbow. A trip to the hospital confirmed she had not broken any bones, which was incredibly lucky for her age.
Teter first started her career as a protester during the Vietnam War, and she has been inactive for some time. She decided to return to the political spectrum in response to her extreme feelings about Trump. Her experience in Asheville was the first time in her entire protesting tenure that she has been met with real physical violence. She says that such violence from his supporters has never been seen, which makes one wonder why Trump supporters are so particularly volatile.
It doesn’t take the skill of a trained therapist to see that Trump supporters are extreme hypocrites in their projection of their own delusions through Trump, who happily plays on the fears and insanities of the common man. There is no other way to explain why one of them would feel justified in punching a feeble 69-year-old woman with an oxygen tank in her face. These are the same people who call liberals ‘whiners’ for their beliefs, yet they can not help but resort to violence when presented with a well-crafted insult or, in many cases, the cold, hard facts.
Trump supporters are the typical school bully let loose in adult form, because that is how they ultimately see Trump. His reputation for taking what he wants with no regard for others is perfectly reflected in his constituents, but that doesn’t mean his leadership style will be good for the country as a cohesive unit. The fact that Trump seems to praise his supporters for using violence to cleanse their rallies of opposing opinions leads one to see a horrifying future for America if Trump were to win.