JD Vance has become Trump’s VP and America feels more dangerous than ever

On Saturday, I, along with many others, witnessed a terrifying event as someone attempted to harm former president Donald Trump. This was not just an assault on him and the people peacefully participating in a political gathering. It was also not just an attack on the Republican Party.

It was an assault on the fundamental principles of democracy in America.

Many people are choosing to use violence instead of words to settle their political differences in our country. This has become a common occurrence, with high-profile incidents like the attacks on Gabrielle Giffords, Steve Scalise, Nancy Pelosi's husband, and the recent tragic incident that resulted in the death of a citizen. Instead of resolving issues through peaceful means such as voting, violence is becoming the preferred method of conflict resolution.

Both sides of this intense civil conflict, on the brink of reaching a breaking point, cannot argue that they are morally superior. It would be helpful if someone could inform my fellow Appalachian, JD Vance.

Last night, the junior senator from Ohio tweeted that the main idea of the Biden campaign is to prevent President Donald Trump, who they believe is an authoritarian fascist, no matter what. The senator also stated that this kind of language was the reason behind the attempted assassination of President Trump.

JD Vance belongs to the Republican party while I identify as a Democrat. He opposes abortion, whereas I am in favor of a woman's right to choose. He backs the MAGA movement, a stance I do not agree with. Recently, he was selected as Trump's potential running mate for the upcoming 2024 election, whereas I am just a freelance writer who focuses on Appalachian Studies at a nearby university. It is clear that we have divergent views and backgrounds.

We have a strikingly similar background. Vance was born in 1984 and raised in Middletown, Ohio, while I was born in 1986 and grew up just 30 minutes away in Dayton.

His relatives are from Breathitt County, Kentucky. My family is from Leslie County, Kentucky, just an hour away, and that's where I finished high school.

We both have grandmothers who were important influences in our lives. We are the first in our families to earn a four-year college degree. We are very proud of our Appalachian background and Kentucky origins. Vance wrote a book called Hillbilly Elegy about his grandparents (a story I don't completely agree with, but one that connected with many people); I also frequently write about my own childhood experiences.

These commonalities should be much more important than our disparities. If they are not, something has gone seriously amiss.

I penned my inaugural piece for this news outlet almost eight years ago. It was right after Donald Trump won the election, and I wrote about cutting ties with my family members who voted for him.

I am currently in conversation with them. I have previously discussed how my initial judgments were incorrect. I have close friends who belong to the Republican party. I have relatives who believe that being homosexual goes against their religious beliefs. It has not been easy, but I have managed to find understanding and forgiveness for them because our connections and shared beliefs are more important than our differing opinions.

When the day is over, we have a clear understanding of our identity.

We are people from the United States. We have never seen eye to eye before. It is unlikely that we will come to a consensus in the future.

I am not writing as a journalist, even though I am one. I am not writing as a member of the Democratic party, even though I am. I am also not writing as a gay man or a socialist, even though I am both.

Today, I am writing as a concerned citizen of the United States, to express that we cannot continue on our current path.

The saying of my lovely and cherished state, Kentucky, is: "We are stronger together, but weaker apart." This motto reflects our history and struggles as a united community.

Kentucky is a bit of a puzzle on the national stage. While we tend to lean towards the Republican Party in federal elections, we typically choose a Democratic governor. During the Civil War, our state had a unique position with stars on both flags. Fun fact: both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were born in Kentucky, but only one of them would live to see the end of the war.

I speak out loudly and often against both Donald Trump and JD Vance. However, I understand that, unlike Vance, some of the language used by people who share my views has contributed to the current situation.

I try to be careful and thoughtful in how I express myself, but there have been times when I have said things I wish I hadn't. I'm sure many of you can relate. It's not just one person at fault here.

Now is not the time to blame others. Our country needs to stop and reflect. Is this truly our identity? Is this the image we want to portray?

President Lincoln thought about those same questions in his first speech as president in 1861. Seven states in the South, from the shores of South Carolina to the dry lands of West Texas, had left the Union.

At the conclusion of that year, Kentucky had governments representing both the Union and Confederate sides. Guerrilla warfare created fear among civilians. Siblings faced off against each other at various battle sites like Cumberland Gap, Mill Springs, and Perryville, as well as at well-known locations such as Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Gettysburg.

Begging for togetherness during a time of crisis, Abraham Lincoln made a final attempt to prevent a civil war in his presidential address. Lincoln emphasized that we should see each other as friends, not enemies, in order to avoid conflict.

We should not view each other as adversaries.

This is the most critical moment our country has faced since the Civil War. The attacks on Pearl Harbor and September 11 were serious, but they didn't threaten our government like we do now.

Even though our strong emotions may have caused tension, we must not let it ruin our connections of love and care," President Lincoln explained. "The powerful memories of our past, reaching from every battlefield and patriot's grave to every person's heart and home across this vast country, will still unite us as a nation when once again reminded, as they surely will be, by the kinder parts of our character."

A country in distress is calling for leaders to help us through this difficult situation, instead of leading us into a crisis that has not been seen on this continent for over 150 years.

We must not see each other as adversaries. I am fully convinced that the American people recognize this. It is important for our leaders to realize this as well.