GOP leaders must condemn rhetoric

What if the bombs had gone off? Thank God they didn’t, but what if even one had?

Would it have ended the inflammatory rhetoric and political partisanship that currently divides this country?

It is quite clear our president and the elected leaders of both parties and our leaders in business and industry need to speak up and condemn this horrible act. But action is needed, not words.

Don’t hold your breath. A Republican majority in the House and Senate has had numerous opportunities to rein in the hateful vitriolic of their leader. Apparently, fear that he will tell his Trump loyalists to vote against them in primaries is enough to keep all House and Senate members quiet (except for those not running for re-election).

Early in Trump’s term, business and industry leaders showed their displeasure with him by either withdrawing or declining to serve on his shortlived business council. Unfortunately, since then, with rare exceptions (pulling commercials from right-wing commentators), few have said or done much to get him or his associates to tone down the incendiary rhetoric that is, without a doubt, a contributing factor to the dramatic increase in violent acts by extremist individuals and groups.

As stated above, it is pretty easy to guess why the members and leaders in his party are afraid to speak up. But what about the nation’s business leaders? A cynical explanation would be that they are too busy deciding what to do with the unnecessarily generous business tax cuts that the Republican majority gave their companies and them personally. Or maybe they are so occupied planning how their companies can deal with the uncertainty and possible inflation caused by the president’s opinion-based tariffs that they have no time?

As for me, i’ve concluded “If it’s to be, it’s up to you and me,” so I’m doing what I can to encourage everyone to get fully informed about what is happening to our country and to vote.

JIM HAMMONS

Fayetteville