When the Secret Service agents shielded former President Donald Trump off the stage to a waiting limo, he raised his fist to show that he was all right. As he repeated "fight, fight, fight," you knew that it would be easy to define his response as a call to take it to his political enemies. Thankfully, his comments since then have focused that word on his desire for America to know that he "fights on" in pursuit of his second term. Commentators are pointing to the iconic pictures of his fist as an indication of how strong and courageous he is as a man; you can't keep Trump down! The next few days will determine whether he can be "man" enough to tone down the anger and rhetoric that would be so easy to release against his political adversaries. Early indications are that he is asking Americans to give control to the better angels of their nature.
The day after the attack, Melania Trump penned a letter that showed her grace and love for America. She acknowledged the support she had received from Americans across our political divide. She closed her letter with these words: "And let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm. Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now. This morning, ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love........