I was really surprised by the attempted assassination of former US President Trump. The fact that he was shot in public while giving a speech at a supporter rally was quite a shocking event, and it made me realize once again how dark the United States is. It is a blessing in disguise that Trump’s life was not in danger.

In the United States, the divide has reached its limit, and it seems that there is a growing trend that people can no longer understand each other through discussion, and that violence is the only option left to resort to. The perpetrator, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead on the spot, so his thoughts and motives are completely unknown, but it is easy to see that he harbored some kind of hatred for Trump’s words and actions.

Can Japan dismiss this incident as a fire on the other side of the river? Rather, shouldn’t they think of it as something that could happen to them tomorrow? Although the social background is different, the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe in 2022 is still fresh in our memories. There was also an attempted assassination of Prime Minister Kishida in September last year.

The attempted assassination of Trump will gradually spread the belief that violence is the only option of last resort all over the world. We cannot help but assume that the number of people who are influenced by this way of thinking will also increase in Japan.

The LDP presidential election will be held in the fall, followed by the House of Representatives election. We must have a thorough security system in place to prevent any turmoil.

The root of the problem is divide, but frankly, it is difficult to eliminate divide. As was highlighted in the recent Tokyo gubernatorial election, diversity, chaos, and divide are two sides of the same coin. The more diversity spreads, the more people feel free, but on the other hand, if individuals behave freely without thinking, society will become chaotic and values ​​and economic divides will widen.

In order to avoid exacerbating this situation, it is important to repeatedly confirm a minimum level of common sense and common understanding. However, in the face of multi-layered and spreading diversity, common sense and common understanding are easily overlooked. (Kei Kitajima)

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI