The nation was reeling over the weekend from the horrific mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. As you know, at least 31 people were killed and more than 50 were wounded.

President Trump addressed the nation from the White House. He denounced the “barbaric slaughters” as “an attack on our nation,” saying, “America weeps for the fallen.” The president asked “God in Heaven to ease the anguish of those who suffer.”

He unequivocally condemned “racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” saying it “warps the mind and devours the soul.” President Trump also vowed to act with resolve.

He ordered the FBI to increase its investigations of hate groups and domestic terrorism. (This should include neo-Nazi groups as well as Antifa.) He called for greater accountability from social media companies. He urged reforms to improve mental health screenings and called for the quick application of the death penalty in cases involving mass murder and hate crimes.

The president called for unity, saying:

“Open wounds cannot heal if we are divided… Now is the time to set destructive partisanship aside and find the courage to answer hatred with unity, devotion and love… We will ensure that those who were attacked will have not died in vain.”

Most importantly, the president urged every American to work for a culture “that celebrates the inherent worth and dignity of every human life.”

If you missed the president’s address, you can watch it here.

The Left’s Reaction

The president’s call to unity, his repeated invocation of God and faith, as well as his promise to seek bipartisan, commonsense solutions stands in stark contrast to the left’s knee-jerk reactions. The bodies of the victims had not been identified yet before the left saw a crisis that could be exploited for political gain, and exploit it they did.

Beto O'Rourke accused the president of inciting violence, saying “He is a racist and he stokes racism in this country.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar accused the president of being a white nationalist.

Rep. Maxine Waters tweeted that the president “cannot escape accepting blame for these escalating killings in our country that are motivated by your race baiting!”

Progressive Democrats of America sent out an email blast over the weekend blaming Trump for “white supremacist violence,” declaring, “Yes, you Mr. President had your finger on that AK-47.”

Ironically, many on the left have been crucifying law enforcement for years while rejecting any claim that their rhetoric could be linked to the growing number of assassinations of police officers.

Fake News Isn’t Helping

One of the most troubling issues surrounding events like these is the cherry picking of information to intentionally benefit the left and demonize conservatives.

When a Bernie Sanders supporter with a hit list of Republicans went on a shooting rampage intending to kill as many Republicans as possible, the media did its best to downplay any suggestion that his attack was politically motivated. Incredibly, the FBI even came to that absurd conclusion in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.

This weekend, the media said that the El Paso shooter was a racist who hated Hispanic immigrants. That was certainly a big part of his disturbing manifesto. But there was much more than just that.

• He expressed an animus toward both political parties and corporate America. But no one is blaming the anti-business rhetoric of the left for his attack.

• He was a proponent of population control. But no one is blaming Planned Parenthood for his attack.

• He expressed alarm at climate change, farming and oil drilling. But no one is blaming the environmental movement for his attack.

• He worried about the impact of automation on American workers. But no one is blaming Andrew Yang for his attack.

What about the Dayton killer?

• He was a registered Democrat, an ardent socialist (and Satanist) and a supporter of Elizabeth Warren. But no one is blaming her for the Dayton murders.

• He had a history of supporting Antifa. He called the man who was killed when he attempted to firebomb the Washington state ICE facility a “martyr,” and retweeted comments mocking Antifa’s vicious attack on journalist Andy Ngo. But no one is blaming Antifa for the Dayton murders.

All of this information is just as relevant as anything else that the “mainstream media” have reported. But they’re not reporting it because it would put the left in an awkward position and undermine the anti-Trump, anti-conservative narrative the fake news media are spinning.

Don’t lose sight of the big picture, my friends. The left and its media allies are not just attacking Donald Trump. They are going after you and everyone else on the right by extension. This morning, Elizabeth Warren and other leftists blamed Fox News.

This has been going on for years. After the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the entire left-wing establishment tried to destroy Rush Limbaugh because he was against big government.

This is the kind of obscene rhetoric that is used by people trying to provoke a civil war, rather than trying to avoid one. Whatever damage Russia did in its election meddling, it pales in comparison to the left’s constant demonization of half of the country.

Focus, Please

Since the left’s tactic this weekend was to promote its radical agenda on the backs of bloody corpses, let me tell you where I believe our focus should be in the days and weeks ahead. Instead of talking about taking our rights away, let’s have a national conversation, as President Trump urged, about creating a culture that celebrates life.

We should have a national conversation about the message being taught to young people today telling them there is no God, that they are a cosmic accident, that there is no meaning to life and no afterlife.

Let’s talk about Hollywood’s hypocrisy in its “glorification of violence” and the fact that virtually every prominent entertainment figure is telling our youth that killing an innocent unborn child is a cherished constitutional right.

Let’s consider posting the Ten Commandments in more public schools so that more children might read its clear moral teachings and its admonition against murder.

Let’s talk about the constant assault on faith, and the undermining of the family and the institutions and values that promote unity.

We need to have this conversation because the problem is much bigger than El Paso and Dayton. Here’s a sad reminder: Similar atrocities are taking place fairly regularly in Chicago and other major cities. Just consider these headlines:

“Chicago Hospital Stops Accepting Patients After Trauma Center Is Overwhelmed With Shooting Victims” — August 5, 2019

“At Least 5 Killed, 42 Wounded In Weekend Shootings Across Chicago” — August 4, 2019

“9 Killed, 39 Wounded In Weekend Shootings Across Chicago” — July 29, 2019

“13 Shot, 6 Killed In Baltimore Since Friday” — July 29, 2019

“10 Shot In Baltimore Over Weekend, 2 Dead” — July 23, 2019

“6 killed, 66 hurt in July 4th weekend shootings in Chicago” — July 8, 2019

“4 Dead, At Least 7 Injured In 9 Separate Shootings In Detroit” — June 10, 2019

“17 Shot, Including 5 Dead, In Violent Memorial Day Weekend In New Orleans Area” — May 28, 2019

In Other News

Buried by the events in Ohio and Texas is the expanding rebellion in Hong Kong. Student-led protests have been taking place for weeks, but in the last day they have turned into a general strike, with government workers joining in.

There is a garrison of Chinese troops in the city and more soldiers have been deployed to the outskirts. It is possible, even likely, that any time now there could be a brutal crackdown that could rival events in Tiananmen Square 30 years ago.

Hong Kong is a global financial center. More than 80,000 Americans live and work in Hong Kong. I believe the increased volatility of the financial markets may be driven by the uncertainty of what could happen next.