𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬'𝗦 𝗨𝗚𝗟𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦, 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗙𝗨𝗟

 

The attempted assassination of former president and current candidate Donald Trump reminds us, not only of America's fascination and worship of guns, but the frequency with which we attempt to kill our presidents and candidates for that office.

In a flawed "understanding" of our Constitution's Second Amendment, many feel gun ownership to be a "right," not to be interfered with, regulated or controlled, including even possession of the AR-15, AK-47, etc.

At a rally in Butler, PA Saturday Donald Trump's ear was grazed by a single bullet while a bystander and the gunman were shot and killed.

Four assassination attempts have been successful involving Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy, while Franklin D. Roosevelt survived the initial attack, but later succumbed to gangrene associated with the bullet wound.

Folks near my age recall the JFK assassination vividly as we saw everything on black-and-white TV; JFK and Jackie in the presidential limo with Texas Governor Connally, the apprehension of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and his subsequent murder by bar owner Jack Ruby. (We all saw, not only Oswald and Ruby, but the rifle used, photos of the presidential motorcade, the Book Depository Building, etc.)

I was in third period world history class when Principal J. Arthur Stewart told us over the intercom that "President Kennedy" had been "shot."

At that age, I didn't distinguish from being "shot" and being "killed," so it was a little startling when another announcement was made during my fourth period typing class that "President Kennedy has died." (Mr. Smith, our typing teacher, told us it would be "best" if we simply "kept typing.")

An after school job at a radio station near Renton, Washington, gave me the opportunity to read condolences from all over the world about Kennedy as they were printed mechanically on a teletype machine with the special perforated paper folding one way, then another, then falling into a basket beneath the machine.

My teenage brain was surprised to see a message of condolence from Russian President Nikita Kruschchev (Take that dementia! I didn't even have to check that spelling.).

"I thought they hated us," I still remember saying to myself.

Many assassination attempts were unsuccessful, not resulting in death.

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a member of the Manson Family, followers of con artist Charles Manson, pointed a gun at President Gerald Ford, but didn't pull the trigger.

Later, Sara Tane Moore shot at President Ford, but missed. 

Ronald Reagan was struck by two of the six bullets fired by John Hinkley, Jr., with another bullet paralyzing Press Secretary James Brady, and yet another striking police officer Thomas Delahanty.

President Theodore Roosevelt was struck by two bullets while making a speech.  Unbuttoning his shirt, he pulled out a 50 page speech, showing the audience two bullet holes in the manuscript, which he credited with keeping the bullets from "going into his heart."

In 1968 Sirhan Sirhan killed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

A 1972 assassination attempt on former Alabama Governor and presidential candidate George Wallace left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Am I forgetting any assassinations or attempted assassinations in our country?