Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 33
by Ingrid Jacques
Less than a year ago, in July, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro found himself in a position no politician ever wants to face.
He had to address the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, which had taken place at a rally in his state. Shapiro also spoke about the murder of Corey Comperatore, a Pennsylvania husband and father who had attended the campaign event.
Shapiro, a Democrat, handled the horrific situation with grace and heartfelt emotion. And he spoke to deepening political rifts in the country.
“We have to remember that even in these times, where there are real divisions, that we have to address those divisions through engagement and in a political and civic process in a peaceful manner,” Shapiro said at the time. “That is incumbent upon all political leaders, all parties, and it is incumbent upon the public.”
Unfortunately, the governor had to revisit that sentiment this past weekend, when he responded to another violent attack – this time directed at him and his family.
Suspect ‘harboring hatred’ for Shapiro and would have beaten him with a hammer
In the early hours of April 13, police say, a person broke into the governor’s home and intentionally set part of the house on fire.
Hours earlier, Shapiro’s family had hosted a Passover celebration.
Thankfully, beyond serious damage to the home itself, Shapiro and his family escaped without injury. But things could have gone very differently.
A suspect in the attack, Cody Balmer, has been arrested and is charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and related offenses.
Balmer turned himself in and reportedly admitted to “harboring hatred” against Shapiro and said that if he had encountered him, he would have beaten the governor with a hammer (reminiscent of the 2022 attack against Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband).
As of this writing, it’s unclear what specifically spurred the attack, and Balmer’s political leanings aren’t well-documented.
However, it’s not a stretch to think that the fact Shapiro is Jewish may have something to do with it. Ugly acts of antisemitism in recent years − on city streets, at synagogues and even on America’s college campuses − have frequently turned into violence and vandalism.
Politicians from the right and left have rightly condemned the attack.
“Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice,” Vice President JD Vance posted on X. Trump called the arsonist a “whack job.”
Trump administration officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, have promised their assistance in investigating the attack.
Shapiro is absolutely correct: ‘This type of violence is not OK’
Following the assault at his home, Shapiro had to once again call out senseless violence.
“This type of violence is not OK,” the governor said. “This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another or one particular person or another, it is not OK. And it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”
It’s concerning that violence seems to be what more Americans are turning to as political tensions rise. Even worse, violence is sometimes glorified.
Liberals who’ve decided they can’t stand Tesla CEO Elon Musk because of his work with Trump have recently taken to fire-bombing Teslas and Tesla dealerships.
And I couldn’t help but think of the murder in December of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. His alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, has become a folk hero for disgruntled people on the left because he “stood up” to the insurance industry.
It’s grotesque, but it’s true.
Over the weekend – just hours after the attack on Shapiro – CNN aired an interview with former New York Times and Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz, who had previously defended Mangione’s actions.
“You’re gonna see women especially that feel like, oh my God, right, here’s this man who’s a revolutionary, who’s famous, who’s handsome, who’s young, who’s smart, he’s a person that seems like this morally good man, which is hard to find,” Lorenz said with a laugh.
There are real consequences when accused murderers like Mangione become twisted role models and their sick actions are upheld as commendable.
All of us, on the right or the left, need to condemn violence, whether it’s motivated by political beliefs, social issues or religious and racial hatred.
As Shapiro has had to say several times now, such violence is never OK.
