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1. Trump didn’t start the fire. He’s the fireman.

By Guy Ciarrocchi
 

Of all the attacks on Trump, the line of attack that is most bizarre, backward, and most disconnected from reality is that he’s the cause of America’s tension, chaos and division.

That’s like blaming the firemen rushing to the scene — with their alarms blaring — for making too much noise or causing the fire. Whether or not the siren is too loud, or whether it offends you or brings you comfort knowing help is on the way, the firemen are the response.

Trump is the fireman. The fireman that much of the nation has been waiting for. To millions of Americans, too many of the fires are still burning. Biden and Harris allowed or encouraged some arsonists, poured gasoline on the fires, and now sit powerless watching our enemies set fires around the world.

Why It Matters.  It wasn’t Trump that allowed millions of illegal immigrants into our nation. It wasn’t he who didn’t vet them, or who handed them a slip of paper asking them to report to a court hearing date two years from when they crossed over. He didn’t create “sanctuary cities” or refuse to deport known criminals — even after they were arrested. He didn’t choose to deposit tens of thousands of them in small towns, allow known felons and terrorists into our nation, give them free housing, cell phones, cash and medical care — or, suggested that taxpayers pay for their gender transition surgery.

It wasn’t Trump that passed legislation that helped put American manufacturers out of business — that encouraged manufacturing to move to Mexico and China.

Trump is the response. And seeing more fires, more people are sounding the alarm so he’s back.

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2. What happened to civil disagreement?

By Beth Ann Rosica
 

Earlier this month, I reported on threatening letters sent to people with Trump signs in their yard. One mailing included this statement, “Your vote for this guy is seen as treading on my rights. You tread on me at your peril, motherf*****.” [edited for inappropriate language]

Following publication of the story, many people reached out to me with similar situations where they felt attacked because of their political affiliations or support of specific candidates. One person said they stopped putting up yard signs because people drove onto their property to run over the signs and knock them down.

Taken in isolation, these events may not be significant — yet, when considered in the aggregate, they are alarming. And it caused me to wonder, when did civil society come to an end?

Why It Matters. Civility, respect, and decency are essential for our constitutional republic to survive. And perhaps, more importantly, they are imperative for our children to grow up with a sense of hope for the future. Meanwhile, campaigns continue to push negative and attacking messaging, and people become more aggressive towards the other side. This is the environment where someone thinks it is acceptable to send threatening letters or disregard 20 years of friendship.

Perhaps it is naive to hope for change, but it feels like we have reached a tipping point or a point of no return. If we cannot engage in civil discourse and disagree with one another in a non-threatening manner, Benjamin Franklin’s statement in 1787 may come to fruition. When asked whether we had a republic or a monarchy, he replied, “a republic, if you can keep it.”

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3. Lightning Round

• Andy Bloom: Kamala can’t close

• Kyle Sammin: Anti-Trump conservatives should consider the past and the future

• Matthew J. Brouillette: One Trump-y Democrat could help far-left Philly progressives keep the Pa. House

• Paul Davis: Human trafficking ring in Northeast Philadelphia is busted

• Guy Ciarrocchi: What happened to all the joy?

• Stephen F. Gambescia: Government is becoming our childhood’s nightmare

• Beth Ann Rosica: WCU students turn out for campus MAGA event

4. Podcast

• PA Chamber's Luke Bernstein explains why U.S. Steel ditched "Steel City," PA – Voices of Reason Clip

5. What we're reading

At the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan surveys the wreckage of a campaign featuring two fairly unpopular candidates and finds reason for optimism. Everyone is energized, everyone is on edge, and the election couldn’t be closer. What does it mean? “We are saying we believe in democracy,” Noonan writes. And it’s true. Pessimists talk about rigged elections and the fix being in, but we are all acting like voting is real, effective, and will make a difference. And it will. People aren’t always going to be thrilled with the options, but democratic elections still determine who will lead this republic. There is comfort in that.