The Las Vegas attack, for some Americans, typically those on the left, represented the terrorism of unchecked gun laws. Classifying the Las Vegas attack as terrorism might mean classifying guns as national threats requiring a response. After the attack in New York on Tuesday, President Trump posted a string of tweets that connected the driver to immigration policy. The same year as Mr. Roof’s attack, Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign gained ground on a different argument that identity politics had led certain forms of terrorism to be played down. That is a recipe for increased polarization and hostility at a moment when Americans are already dangerously divided.

Source: New York Times November 01, 2017 17:28 UTC