I’ve written fairly extensively about the possibility of a brokered convention for the Republican Party this July.
Given the fact Donald Trump would have to collect 55 percent of the remaining delegates in order to secure the nomination, I’m quite certain a brokered convention is going to happen.
I further speculate that at the brokered convention, despite having accumulated more delegates than any other candidate, the GOP establishment will not give Trump the nomination.
And initially, I rejoice.
It’s relieving to know with near certainty that Trump will not become the President of the United States.
It didn’t take long, however, before I realized one of the most unfortunate consequences of blocking Trump’s nomination might literally be death.
Nearly a month ago, as rumors of a brokered convention began to circulate, Trump weighed in on the subject. He predicted “riots,” according to CNN, should he be denied the nomination.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, concurred with this prediction.
And though the same CNN article quotes a Trump supporter suggesting that riots aren’t “necessarily a bad thing,” and that they “wouldn’t resort to violence,” I’m inclined to disagree. The world has already seen dozens of incidents of violence from Trump supporters.
Last August, two white men in Boston brutally beat a Hispanic homeless man with a metal pipe and then urinated on him while shouting anti-immigrant slurs and other derogatory remarks in the name of Trump.
Though Trump condemned their actions, he’s since made several comments inciting violence at his rallies.
Notable quotes include “Part of the problem ... is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore,” “I’d like to punch him in the face,” “Knock the crap out of them,” “Maybe he should have been roughed up” and “You know what they used to do to a guy like that in a place like this? They’d be carried out on a stretcher, folks.”
All of the quotes were met with raucous applause.
It’s easy to imagine that when, at rallies alone, peaceful protesters are getting pepper-sprayed and punched in the face, having their hair pulled, dragged out of the event, choked and threatened if Trump loses the nomination that violence will grow exponentially.
The mere meeting between Trump supporters and someone with opposing views incites horrible incidents of violence from Trump’s camp.
Now imagine what would happen if he loses the nomination in a rigged or “stolen” election.
It’s despicably sad and utterly disappointing I should have to suggest that, if Trump loses the nomination, Muslims, Hispanics, African-Americans, members of the LGBT community and anyone else of color stay inside with the doors locked on the final night of the convention.
But that’s the state of our nation.
I hope Trump loses the nomination. I hope, though, that all of our nation’s mosques are still standing the next day.
I hope that God protects us all, and I pray our nation heals itself from the sickness of racism and the tragedy that is Trump.
thshowal@indiana.edu
@TherinShowalter
