THE MYTH OF GUN VIOLENCE AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE: A BITTER RECIPE FOR DIVISION
The phrase "as American as apple pie" evokes warm images of family gatherings, Fourth of July barbecues, and a shared cultural sweetness. But in recent years, some have tried to knead gun violence into this nostalgic metaphor, suggesting it's as intrinsic to our national identity as that flaky, cinnamon-dusted crust. This is a myth—a dangerous one—that distorts history and poisons our civil discourse. Gun violence, far from being a baked-in feature of the American experience, was once the exception, not the rule. And while political division has always simmered, the current era of hateful rhetoric, amplified by figures like Donald Trump, has turned the heat to a boil, threatening to burn down the kitchen of our democracy.
Let’s set the table with some historical context. America’s past is not a stranger to violence—think of the Civil War, labor riots, or the turbulent 1960s. But leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, and even George W. Bush after 9/11 stepped up to soothe a grieving nation. When RFK spoke in Indianapolis after MLK’s assassination, his words were a balm, urging unity over vengeance. After the Boston Marathon bombing, Barack Obama called for resilience, not retribution. Even Joe Biden, in moments of national tragedy, has leaned on empathy to stitch us back together. These were not perfect leaders, but they understood the power of their platform to heal rather than harm.
Enter Donald Trump, stage right, with a catchphrase that became a cultural cudgel: “You’re fired!” From the moment he swaggered onto the national stage, Trump’s rhetoric was less apple pie and more Molotov cocktail. His words—described by critics as angry, nasty, hateful, sour, and ugly—have been a daily drumbeat of division. Whether it’s calling immigrants “vermin,” mocking trans people, or labeling opponents as enemies, Trump’s language doesn’t just reflect the political divide; it dynamites the fault lines. His speech at the United Nations in September 2025 was no exception, a screed of malice that left diplomats shifting uncomfortably in their seats. And let’s not forget the Madison Square Garden rally in October 2024, where a comedian’s racist jabs at Puerto Rico and Black communities drew Nazi-era comparisons, with Trump’s campaign only halfheartedly disavowing the bile.
Academic research backs up the damage. Studies, like those from the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, have linked Trump’s aggressive rhetoric to spikes in hate incidents near his rally sites. His tweets—short, sharp, and soaked in hyperbole—act like rhetorical Molotovs, igniting prejudice in followers and emboldening acts of harm. After his “Chinese virus” comments during COVID-19, anti-Asian hate crimes surged. His attacks on election workers and judges have fueled threats, creating a climate where political violence feels less like an aberration and more like a feature. The data is clear: while Trump’s words may not legally incite violence, they fertilize the soil where it grows.
But let’s debunk the myth head-on: gun violence isn’t baked into America’s DNA. In the 1950s, school shootings were unheard of, and mass shootings were rare. The NRA was a sportsman’s club, not a political juggernaut. The Second Amendment existed, sure, but it wasn’t a cultural fetish. Fast-forward to today, and the news cycle churns with tragedies—Dallas ICE shootings, school massacres, and the funeral of Charlie Kirk, a grim reminder of our fractured times. The difference? A toxic cocktail of easy access to guns, mental health crises, and a political discourse that’s less debate and more deathmatch.
Trump’s role in this isn’t singular—he didn’t invent division—but he’s the maestro of mean, conducting an orchestra of outrage. His rhetoric doesn’t just polarize; it weaponizes. When he mocks hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico or demonizes immigrants, it’s not just words; it’s a permission slip for prejudice. The fallout is measurable: bullying in schools spikes, hate crimes against Muslims and Hispanics climb, and public officials face death threats. As one study put it, Trump’s language creates “shared understandings” of hate, connecting him to his audience like a twisted game of telephone where the message is always “us vs. them.”
Yet, there’s hope on the horizon, and it’s not just wishful thinking over a slice of pie. On October 18, 2025, a movement called No Kings 2.0 aims to flip the script. Building on the success of No Kings 1.0—a day of community, grins, and help, not hate—this initiative calls for peace, not violence. It’s a rejection of the “kill to heal” mentality, a demand to fight division with unity. Imagine it: no guns, just gatherings; no vitriol, just voices rising to rebuild what’s been torn apart. It’s the kind of America that once was, and could be again, if we choose to turn down the heat.
The political divide isn’t new—Federalists and Anti-Federalists were throwing shade before Twitter was a twinkle in a coder’s eye. But what’s different now is the absence of leaders willing to bridge the gap. Trump’s GOP cheers his every barb, while Democrats, often cowed, offer tepid protests or silent walkouts. The result? A nation where hate speech isn’t just normalized—it’s amplified, retweeted, and weaponized.
So, let’s stop pretending gun violence is as American as apple pie. It’s not our heritage; it’s our failure. And it’s not inevitable. We’ve had leaders who calmed the storm, and we can again. No Kings 2.0 is a start—a reminder that we can choose grins over guns, help over hate. The recipe for a better America doesn’t include division or violence. It’s time to bake something new, something that tastes like unity, and leave the bitter rhetoric in the dustbin where it belongs.
Donald Trump: Aggressive Rhetoric and Political Violence | Perspectives on Terrorism https://pt.icct.nl/article/donald-trump-aggressive-rhetoric-and-political-violence
"Hayes: Trump's Digital Rhetoric of Hate" by Tracey J. Hayes https://repository.gonzaga.edu/jhs/vol17/iss1/3/
Fallout spreads from racist rhetoric at Trump's MSG rally - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/28/trump-madison-square-garden-rally-tony-hinchcliffe-00185793
Trump's speech quickly reminded us of his hatred for others | Opinion https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/03/05/trump-speech-targets-trans-people-gender/81497808007/
No Kings https://www.nokings.org/
Indivisible https://indivisible.org/
