Trumps Wins Presidency (And What's Next)

Jeremy Courtney
July 14, 2024

Former President Trump was shot in an assassination attempt last night at a rally.

The shooting—and perhaps most notably, his response—has just won him the election.

For some readers, this is good news.

For some, this is devastating.

For most, we are deeply focused on how to remain peacemakers in a country that seems so hellbent on tearing itself apart.

This may be new (or new again) for America, but I’ve navigated some of these dynamics for years working in countries like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel-Palestine, and Ukraine.

Here’s a quick checklist of principles we can use to stay tempered and focused as the rhetoric rachets up over the coming hours, days, and weeks.

Pray. Whether you think it’s real or not matters very little to me. Meditate. Send good vibes. Something changes in us when we seek better outcomes for our opponents and adversaries.
Reject dehumanizing language. Both sides have blood on their hands. It’s a slow burn to get to this place and it’s been simmering with hateful rhetoric for years. But no matter who you think started it, countering their hate with more dehumanization of your own, is not the way out.
Lean in. Most use these polarizing moments to gather with our own people and confirm our biases. Peacemakers are not like most. Spend time with the other side. Not to agree, but to understand.
Find common ground. At this stage in any country’s demise, both sides are typically entrenched in the diabolical pursuit of power. But out beyond the politics of Democrat and Republican, there is a field… let’s lead people there.
Don’t lose hope. This one is hard for some of you. Because you think of Hope as this delicate bubble that bursts every time the wind blows. I don’t know what that is, but that’s not Hope. But Hope is a mountain climber, scraped up and bruised, pursuing a dream. She may have just slipped—she might be hanging on by a finger—but she's already reaching for the next handhold, ready to go higher.

Most are going to let this push them further away from peace.

Thankfully, you’re not like most.

Jeremy Courtney
CEO
HUMANITE Peace Collective

PS — Let me leave you with my friend Ramez in Gaza. Peace is a way of life and Ramez is one of its leaders. His story went viral when Israel bombed his church and killed his 3 children. The video here about what happened next will make you want to stand up and shout!