AGAR: Violence is violence not political speech

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No, I am not dialling back the rhetoric or lowering the tone.

Assassination is not political speech. It is violence.

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump was and is an act of violence by a person whose motives we do not know. Nothing else.

It was wrong.

Any other comment assigning blame is political.

This is not about whether the left or the right are responsible. The shooter is responsible.

He has paid his price.

Shooting a politician is not political speech. It is violence.

Burning down churches in Canada is not political speech. It is violence.

Bullets through the windows of a Jewish School are not political speech. It is violence and I am uninterested in the so-called reason. Shooters are not to be reasoned with, are a danger to society and are not worthy of us listening to their twisted political sensibility.

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Throwing things at police officers is not political expression. It is violence.

Don’t tell me the Democrats are responsible or that Trump’s rhetoric leads to this sort of violence. No, it doesn’t. Violence is violence.

I hate how many times I have heard people saying we should tamp down the rhetoric. No, we shouldn’t.

For one thing, people with strong political opinions always think it is the other side that needs to tone it down.

I think Justin Trudeau is damaging this country. I want him gone. That means I want him out of office. Sadly, that may take another 16 months. I’ll wait.

And after he is gone as prime minister, I hope – and I am being sincere here – that he has a happy life, leaving me out of it.

I attacked Toronto city Councillors Shelley Carroll and Chris Moise, along with Mayor Olivia Chow, for going along with them in what I think was a stupidly conceived and carelessly handled renaming of Yonge- Dundas Square that caused a race argument this city didn’t need or want.

I stand by everything I said.

I wish no ill will personally on those individuals, other than maybe they lose the next election and go away to a happy life.

I think strong opinions, forcefully delivered, on the issues that matter in our lives, are not just our right, but our responsibility.

Step up. Be involved. Give a damn.

You may say you are not concerned with politics, but politics is concerned with you. Vote.

Are we divided in Canada? Yes.

We have protests. We had a border closed by protesters and events disrupted by protesters. Angry people. Dangerous people sometimes. It is not to be ignored.

But it isn’t real life for the vast majority of the people. I care about political opinion and the actions of politicians.

Strong political opinion does not incite violence. Violent people perpetrate violence.

I can’t comment with the fear that what I say might cause some mentally ill person to do something violent. I have no idea what a mentally ill person might do, based on what any of us say.

The only thing you need in your arsenal is words – and words are powerful enough, if you think about your position, disregard conspiracy theories and hate, and learn to be articulate.

Think Dr. Martin Luther King, not Vladimir Putin.

Then, bring it on — as strongly as you like.