Former US President Donald Trump Survives Assassination Attempt
The Story: On Saturday, former United States President Donald Trump was struck by a bullet during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. After numerous security failures, a 20-year-old would-be assassin fired on the President from the rooftop of an unguarded building 150 yards from the stage. The bullet pierced President Trump’s right ear after he turned his head at the last second—saving his life. After taking cover and getting tackled by the Secret Service, President Trump stood up and thrust his fist into the air, shouting “Fight. Fight. Fight.”
One rally attendee, fire chief Corey Comperatore, died after jumping in front of his wife and daughters to shield them from the line of fire.
The Significance: The attempted assassination on President Trump appears to have softened the former President to the reality of God’s sovereignty. In his Nomination Acceptance speech, President Trump said, “I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God.”
Theologically, President Trump is correct. The Sovereign hand of God protected him from an assassin’s bullet that almost certainly would have killed him if not for a last second turn of the head. Here, the words of Proverbs should be remembered that “the heart of the king is a stream in the hand of the LORD” (Prov. 21:1). As with Nebechednezzer’s humbling, the LORD himself has shown a mighty man that he is the LORD and there is no other. He did so, however, not through embarrassment but through a providential act of mercy. Not only did the LORD protect the President from certain death, he also protected the United States—and the Western world—from an almost certainly violent fallout. The LORD Almighty is a Sovereign God who does all that he pleases and we Him owe our thanks for his mercy in this case.
As Christians, let us pray that President Trump’s awareness of the sovereign hand of the Lord leads him to seek after the Lord fully with a heart-transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Read More: Melissa Quinn, CBS News, “In RNC speech, Trump recounts surviving assassination attempt: “I’m not supposed to be here””
Canadian Professors Express Disappointment Over President Trump’s Survival
The Story: The attempted assassination of President Trump caused ripples beyond the lives of those directly affected and tragically lost. In Canada, several university professors are currently being investigated for publicly wishing that the attempt on Trump’s life had been successful.
In one instance, a UBC professor, Karen Pinder, deleted her Twitter/X account after it was announced the school was opening an investigation after she posted multiple posts wishing the shooter had been successful, and complaining about “what a glorious day it could have been.”
Celebrities were not immune from finding out that wishing someone would die is still generally unacceptable behavior. Jack Black and his Comedic Band partner had to cancel an international tour after Kyle Gass joked on stage that his birthday wish was for “the next shooter not to miss.” Gass was subsequently dropped by his talent agency.
The Significance: There are easy lessons to learn here about division, and hate, and tribalism. But the level of vitriol is only shocking because, in this case, the former President and current Republican Nominee was literally a quarter of an inch from death and an innocent man nearby lost his life. It is never wrong to check our hearts and ask ourselves how we would react if the person we disliked the most was the one in danger.
There is a further lesson, however, on the consequences of actions like Professor Pinder. Some commentators have decried her being investigated as “cancel culture.” This is not cancel culture. Expressing concern that our young people are not taught by the kind of person who publicly wishes for the death of another is a fair concern. Furthermore, UBC is fully entitled to not want to employ the kind of person who expresses such wishes.
We should indeed not participate in cancel culture—targeting people who simply hold views we disagree with and attempting to have them removed from polite society. But we also have a right to demand accountability for people who publicly demonstrate that they hold opinions which affect their ability to truly do their job.
Read More: Denise Ryan Vancouver Sun Trump shooting: UBC prof celebrates assassination attempt, then deletes social media
Report on 11-Year-Old’s Death in Foster Care Blames “Web of Inaction”
The Story: A report on the death of an 11-year-old Indigenous boy in foster care is raising serious concerns with the child welfare regime in British Columbia. “Colby” (not the child’s real name) died after months of neglect of his complex medical condition. Colby and his two siblings had been placed with his mother’s cousin, who had previously been investigated by the Ministry for child abuse. No background checks or preliminary visits took place before the children were handed over.
Despite repeated and urgent reports by Colby’s healthcare team and teachers and a policy of in-person visits every 90 days, no child welfare worker from either the Ministry or the Band visited for the 7 months before his “torturous” death.
The woman and her partner are serving a 10-year sentence for manslaughter. No Ministry officials have so far resigned or been charged.
The Significance: Colby died because of the cowardice of welfare workers, Ministry authorities, and politicians.
Child welfare, especially in Indigenous communities, has become politicized at the cost of being effective. With the claims of horrors from the residential schools and the “Sixties Scoop” constantly top of mind, child welfare workers, Ministry staff, and politicians are simply not willing to “interfere” and be painted with that same brush. At the same time, top-down mandates have put pressure on First Nations to take on child welfare despite many not yet being ready to do so fully and needing help from the same people too terrified to raise a finger. This tragic combination was always going to lead to deaths before the scandal forced authorities to act. Let us pray Colby’s is the last.
Read More: The National Post, “‘Massive error:’ Web of inaction led to torturous death of 11-year-old in B.C.: report”
Abortion Pill Distribution Expands in Alberta
The Story: New data from Alberta shows that distribution of the abortion pill Mifegymiso expanded from “4,152 doses dispensed [in 2022] to 5,850 [in 2023].” This continues a trend throughout the Western world in which abortions are shifting away from surgical clinics and hospitals and toward medical abortions via pills ingested by the Mother in her own home.
The data also shows that abortion pill distribution is increasingly decentralized, with more and more doctors providing the pills in rural areas rather than being limited to major centres such as Calgary and Edmonton.
The Significance: This story demonstrates a further development of the sad history of the deadly practice of abortion in Canada. Abortion is now increasingly committed earlier and more privately via Mifegymiso and its companion drug Misoprostol. However, even though they are smaller and more hidden, the children who are being killed by these pills are not any less valuable.
However, although their value has not changed, the battle lines on which the war for their value is fought are changing and, with it, our strategy must also change. As Christians, we must think carefully about how we will seek to save preborn babies from death and share the gospel with their mothers in this new age of death by pill. Where is the nxt generation of Christian pro-life leaders who will lead the charge against the distribution of these deadly pills? Some of them are perhaps reading this newsletter right now.
Read More: Local Journalism Initiative, “Access to abortion pill expanding beyond Alberta’s major cities, data shows”
Quick Hits
Extreme progressive party to ban puberty blockers for minors: In a move that is bringing shock to North American liberals, the new extremely progressive Labour government in the UK is reported to be making the ban on puberty blockers for children permanent. Canadian liberals should now be asking themselves why North America appears to be the last strong-hold for extremists who believe in permanently destroying the bodies of children.
“Safe supply” advocates face significant setbacks: Proponents of so-called “Safe Supply” were dealt major blows this week by the NDP government of BC and police in London, Ontario. London police chief Thai Truong stated that “diverted safe supply is being resold into our community. It’s being trafficked into other communities, and it is being used as currency in exchange for fentanyl, fueling the drug trade”. Police will be reviewing the “safe supply” program.
In BC, the left-wing government of Premier David Eby immediately denounced a long-in-the-making report by top doctor Bonnie Henry to regulate and sell drugs in government-operated stores. This move, once seen as the next logical step by advocates, is now nearly as toxic as the drugs “safe supply” has unleashed on our streets.
A Truth To Consider
