14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY July 18-24, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Shots Fired In the wake of an attempted assassination, we need clarity and facts, not conspiracies. By Jeet Heer FORUM On Saturday night, July 13, Donald Trump was the victim of an attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. We’ve since learned more about the alleged gunman, 20-yearold Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed at the scene by Secret Service agents, and about Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who was shot and killed while protecting his family at the rally. But before facts were confirmed and published, there was a surge of unwarranted speculation and scapegoating. As the New York Times reported: “Unsubstantiated claims about what took place at Saturday’s rally immediately flooded social media after former President Donald J. Trump was carried off the stage after shots were fired. “Without providing proof, the social media posts blamed shadowy figures on the left for targeting Mr. Trump, and built on ideas circulated by Mr. Trump that the ‘deep state,’ or a cabal within the government, was seeking to stop him from returning to office. The unverified claims surfaced on platforms including Gab, Truth Social and Parler, which are favored by the far-right, as well as on X, Telegram, Facebook and Instagram.” It isn’t just anonymous accounts that are promoting bad-faith, ungrounded and exploitive narratives. Some right-wing politicians have gotten into the act as well. Senator J.D. Vance, who two days later became Trump’s vice presidential running mate, tweeted: “Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Georgia Representative Mike Collins tweeted: “The Republican District Attorney in Butler County, PA, should immediately file charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination.” Joe Biden and other Democratic politicians have taken the opposite tack, rightly condemning political violence and expressing concern about Trump’s safety. But there is more to be said. There needs to be a forceful proclamation that the facts of the case need to be gathered and made public. In his comments, Biden said, “Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety.” This pro forma praise of the Secret Service was echoed by many politicians, including Trump. This praise of the Secret Service is, at best, premature. There is a prima facie case for suspecting a Secret Service failure. Why was a gunman allowed within the vicinity of the former president? Were warnings by onlookers ignored? These and more questions need answers. A full, independent investigation is needed. Facts alone won’t defeat conspiracy theories or destabilization. But facts are essential as a tool for figuring out what actually happened and assisting in promoting political stability. In the absence of facts, conspiracy theories and destabilization will spread. Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation, where this story first appeared. OPINION “Without proof, the posts blamed shadowy figures.” 2024 ASSESSED VALUE NOTICES Property owners may view their value notices this year at: www.countyofmonterey.gov/assessor Owners can also request an electronic version of their notice by emailing assessor@countyofmonterey.gov with the subject as “VALUE NOTICE REQUEST”. Please allow 48hrs to receive your notice. Tax bills will be mailed in mid-October and property owners will have until December 2, 2024 to file an assessment appeal. For more information, contact the County of Monterey, Office of the Assessor (831) 755-5035 AVISO DE VALORES 2024 Las Notificaciones de valores estarán disponibles por Internet, www.countyofmonterey.gov/assessor Propietarios sin acceso a una computadora, favor de llamar a (831) 755-5035, oprima opción 3 para dejar su información. Propietarios también pueden solicitar una versión electrónica de su aviso enviando un correo electrónico a assessor@countyofmonterey.gov con el sujeto “SOLICITUD DE AVISO DE VALOR”. Por favor permita 48 horas para recibir su aviso. Facturas de impuestos serán enviadas al propietario a mediados de Octubre y los propietarios tendrán hasta el 2 de Diciembre 2024 para presentar una apelación. Para mas información, llame al Condado de Monterey Oficina del Assessor (831) 755-5035
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