The Cost of Anger

In loving memory of the innocent who were killed in political violence.

I will not write much here. There are no words I can say. I only wish to remember those forgotten casualties, the unseen cost of the current antagonism in America. I am not here to blame anyone for the loss of those who have passed. I merely wish to recognize them and, with it, the cost in blood America has paid for its political competition.

I am not here to put a spin on this, to blame liberals, conservatives, or anyone else. The list here is not exhaustive. It merely gives light to a few names and the cause of their death. As of yet, they are forgotten, but I hope they will one day have their names carved in stone, where they will be remembered for eternity as those who died because of wrath and passion.

The list

•  Aaron Danielson: a Patriot gunned down by an Antifa supporter in 2020 in Portland, Oregon.
•  Suzanne Morphew: killed for voting Democrat by her husband, who was struggling with mental health difficulties, in 2020 in Salida, Colorado.
•  Ashli Babbitt: killed at the Capitol Hill in Washington.
•  Tina Lanis: killed by her husband, who believed in a COVID-19-linked conspiracy, in a mental breakdown in 2020 in Michigan.
•  Michael F. Mohn: beheaded by his son in 2024 based on neo-Nazi beliefs.
•  Corey Comperatore: killed in Butler, Pennsylvania, during an attempt on Donald Trump’s life in 2024.
•  Joshua Kemppainen: run over for supporting Trump in the 2024 election in Hancock, Michigan.
•  Tatiana Casap and Donald Mayer: killed by their son, who wanted to kill Donald Trump, in 2025 in Pennsylvania.
•  Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman: Minnesota state senators in 2025 who were killed by someone who disagreed with their views.

This list should also include those killed today at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There are many more, often only highlighted on local news and so, for now, forgotten.

Let us remember them.

I am not blaming the president; every time, he has always said to do it peacefully and legally. Even the Democratic leadership, who, despite all their faults, have never asked for violence.

Without blaming anyone, I would say America is having a general anger problem that easily finds an outlet in politics. The hectic life many live, with frustration from poor economic returns, burdened by chronic illness, and complicated by a poor mental health crisis, creates frustration that needs someone to blame. This frustration bursts forth in politics as a great place to take that frustration out on others.

This is especially true with a media culture that enjoys peddling fear to get great ratings, which encourages the idea that you should be scared from endless negative pronouncements through the megaphone of television, print, and social media. Even then, we can’t blame the media, as we are the ones who demand fear. If it didn’t sell, it wouldn’t be pushed by the media.

So let’s remember the cost of the current moment. Let’s take a breath, praying to any God or other figure of worship we hold dear to let us overcome rage. Even those without a belief should reflect on the loss and ask ourselves to see here the cost of anger and reject it. Let us remember them as testimony to the cost of anger.