Agunda Okeyo
Jul 18, 2024
Dearest Reader,
I must admit, I feel at a loss for words. I have gravitated toward reading and self-reflecting in recent days, more than the desire to blurt out some unformed or uninformed ideas. But, I have a deadline to meet so here goes! Even before the assassination attempt on former U.S. president Donald Trump, I knew it was coming. I have told people, mostly Americans, in my life that assassination attempts (plural) are inevitable in such a hostile, polarized environment as the U.S. today. Many dismissed what I said as hyperbole —“Oh Agunda, we don’t do that here.” Fully ignoring the many former presidents and public figures that has happened to in American history. We are embedded in a violent culture that doesn’t seem interested in changing (in the short term), despite whatever calls for calm people of influence proclaim today…as they should. I was planning for this week’s newsletter to be about some personal insights on love, but last week’s frightening escalation against a former president drove me to return to historical texts documenting the zeitgeist of early to mid 20th century Europe.