Among the themes at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was “Make America Safe Once Again,” an apparent reference to “supporting law enforcement, border security and battling human and drug trafficking.” According to a press release from the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, the former president plans to stop “the endless crime spree and drug flow that plague America.” This, in spite of the fact that crime levels have dropped dramatically since the 1990s.
The RNC, occurring just days after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, did not address gun violence from young, white, disaffected Republican men, who commit the vast majority of mass shootings in this country. Trump’s suspected attempted assassin was a 20-year-old registered Republican who used a legally obtained AR-15 rifle. Data shows gun-related deaths are rising each year.
Kamau Franklin, founder of Community Movement Builders, recently co-wrote a story for YES! called “In Atlanta, Police Violence Ties Together Protests for Gaza, Stop Cop City.” He spoke with YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about what it takes to truthfully address issues of violence and safety.