Donald Trump's References to Violence

I am very frightened for the United States of America.  During this election year, there has been a lot of negative rhetoric, much coming from Donald Trump.  Today, he made a comment regarding being stuck with justices that Hillary Clinton would appoint, and then he referenced there is always the 2nd Amendment.  http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/09/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-second-amendment/. Was he referring to using violence against Hillary Clinton, or her judge appointees, or was he referencing the voting power of the NRA and other supporters of the right to bear arms? It really does not matter what he was referring to.  If just one person thinks he was saying it was okay, that if Hillary Clinton becomes president, to use violence against her or her judge appointees, and even one person is injured, even if not killed, that is too much violence incited and sanctioned by his comments.

This is not the first time he has used this kind of rhetoric.  Remember when he said that even a murder would not erode his support?  http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/donald-trump-nevada-murder/.  This article references other comments that he has made about violence.

We are a nation born of Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution and re-affirmed by a War Between the States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War.

We have fought many other wars, skirmishes, police actions, and whatever you want to call them, so as a nation we are not strangers to violence. We are the only nation to have used atomic weapons during war time. Anniversaries of which occur this month: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki. We are a nation that has seen all sorts of domestic violence.

But we are a nation founded on the rule of law, and the right to due process.  Violence against individuals honors neither.

During the last few years, but starting as far back at 1966, when Charles Whitman shot at innocent people from the tower on the University of Texas campus http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/an-ex-marine-goes-on-a-killing-spree-at-the-university-of-texas, mass violence has been escalating in our country. http://www.gannett-cdn.com/GDContent/mass-killings/index.html#frequency.  Why?  I could speculate but will not.

What I will say is that for leaders in our country to encourage violence or the hint of violence is more than irresponsible. It is criminal.  This is not the first time that I have said that the things Donald Trump says are criminal.  I believe in free speech, and Trump is certainly exercising his right to free speech, but he does not care whom he is inciting to act in a criminal manner based on his speech. And, ultimately, if he incites others to violence, he will not pay the price.  I think this is the ultimate act of cowardice. The ultimate act of a bully.