Violence threatens democracy

Saturday night’s shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner is the latest example of how violence threatens democracy.

The government’s key leaders were endangered, including the president, but also the reporters present to celebrate freedom of the press in the nation’s 250th anniversary.

This marks the third time the president’s life has been threatened by a would-be killer. Also present at the dinner was the widow of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated.

How long will this go on? Cities like Chicago are ablaze with gunfire. The U.S. is at war with Iran. Some blue states are refusing to cooperate with Border Patrol and immigration officials, and Democrats in Washington are refusing to fund portions of Homeland Security, of which the Secret Service is a part.

Democracy is a messy, noisy, cantankerous thing, complete with reporters butting heads with government officials, but the primary responsibility of government is to keep its citizens safe. If the president and a crowd of unarmed citizens cannot be worry-free at a scholarship charity dinner, can anyone else fee safe in their neighborhoods?