Rachelle Whiting Becomes First Woman Sheriff of Calaveras County

Calaveras County Sheriff Rachelle Whiting
The First Woman Sheriff of Calaveras County's 174-year History

A first in the 174-year history of Calaveras County, California, has taken place. There's a new Sheriff in Calaveras County and the Sheriff's a woman.

Though women working in law enforcement in some capacity is nothing new today, I was surprised to find out recently that there are only a few women County Sheriffs in the entire United States. In fact, according to the National Sheriff's Association, "There are less than 60 women Sheriffs currently serving across the country. Less than 2% of America's Sheriffs are women."

Imagine that! Less than 60 women Sheriffs in the whole country. And here's something else, my research tells me there are 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. So yes indeed, Calaveras County Sheriff Rachelle Whiting is part of a small but very prestigious group.

So how did this come about? Well, over her 24 years with the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office, Rachelle Whiting has risen through the ranks by working hard and demonstrating that she is a fine leader. Over the years, she's received several awards and commendations from the Sheriff’s Office including Deputy Sheriff of the Year, Campaign Ribbons, Unit Citations, and Medals of Merit commendations. But really, there's more to the story than just that.

On October 26, 2022, Calaveras County Sheriff Rick DiBasilio promoted Rachelle Whiting to the position of Undersheriff. On December 7, 2023, Undersheriff Whiting graduated from the FBI National Academy. Located on more than 500 acres within the immense Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, the FBI Academy's 10-week program is renowned for its academic excellence and provides advanced training in areas such as communication, leadership, and fitness.

The FBI National Academy website states, "Classes are offered in a diverse set of areas, and officers participate in a wide range of leadership and specialized training. Officers share ideas, techniques, and experiences with each other and create lifelong partnerships that transcend state and national borders."

Then there's "The Yellow Brick Road" which is more than just a fitness challenge.

The FBI National Academy website states, "The final test is the fitness challenge. The Yellow Brick Road is a grueling 6.1-mile run through a hilly, wooded trail built by the U.S. Marines. Along the way, the participants must climb over walls, run through creeks, jump through simulated windows, scale rock faces with ropes, crawl under barbed wire in muddy water, maneuver across a cargo net, and more. When (and if) the students complete this difficult test, they receive an actual yellow brick to memorialize their achievement."



As you can see by the picture above of her holding her yellow brick stating "Yellow Brick Road FBINA 288" (FBI National Academy Session 288), she successfully completed five graduate-level courses and an extremely challenging fitness program.

Please understand that this prestigious achievement is huge. This is a big deal. This program is so highly selective that the FBI National Academy only accepts the top 1% of law enforcement leaders worldwide.

Sheriff Rick DiBasilio said, "Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting's graduation from the FBI National Academy is a significant achievement for our department. We are incredibly proud of her and confident that her new insights and skills will significantly contribute to the safety of our community."

Then, with a few years left to serve in his position, in May of this year, 2024, after eight years in office as Calaveras County Sheriff and having over two decades of service with the department, Sheriff Rick DiBasilio announced his retirement date as August 9, 2024. His recommendation to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors was to appoint Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting to serve out his time in office which ends in 2028.

As a resident of Calaveras County, I cannot tell my readers how happy I am that the Board of Supervisors took Sheriff Rick DiBasilio's recommendation to heart and voted her into the position.

As for Sheriff Rick DiBasilio? I was able to get to know him a little over the last couple of years. He is a great man. He's one of the best people that you'd ever find. And frankly, you'd be fortunate to call him a friend.

As for his time as our Sheriff? I'm extremely grateful for Sheriff Rick DiBasilio's devotion to duty, his good heart, and his caring ways. His steadfast dedication to making Calaveras County a safer place for all of us while keeping a positive attitude about things always impressed me. At age 65, he's certainly earned the right to enjoy life with his family. And yes, I wish "Sheriff Rick" all the best.


Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting selected and sworn in by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors

On August 13, 2024, Undersheriff Rachelle Whiting was selected and sworn in by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors as the 24th Sheriff of Calaveras County on a 5 to 0 vote. She was administered the oath of office immediately after the vote. Below is what she said to the Board of Supervisors that historic Tuesday morning:

"After 24 years serving our Sheriff’s Office, I am hoping this Board, our community, our agency partners, and especially my co-workers know me and my commitment to Calaveras County by now.

I think my career track record as a law enforcement leader speaks for itself, but I do want to say: I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice, and am close to completing my Master’s Degree in Public Safety.

The reason I bring this up is because I have been impressed and inspired by how many deputies, all the way through the ranks to Captain, have been seeking higher education in addition to their dedicated work at the Sheriff’s Office. It speaks to our commitment to pursuing opportunities that will continue our personal and professional development. I believe the complexities of twenty-first century policing demand educated professional law enforcement leaders and collectively we are here to fill that role.

I am fifth generation Calaveras County. My parents are here today. My adult kid who also graduated from Calaveras High School is here. As with many of our Sheriff’s Office employees, my husband and I understand the intricacies of raising children in our rural county and worrying about childcare, transportation, the safety of our kids in local schools. School safety is a priority.

I understand the necessity and I am committed to ensuring the level of professionalism and level of trust you have come to expect from the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office.

I believe in upholding the Constitutional Rights of our citizens.

Our Sheriff's Office paramount objective is the protection of our communities and public safety in Calaveras County. With my appointment, that will not change. We have a reputation for managing a clean adult detention facility and will ensure focus on valuing the efficiency of the jail and court security operations. We recognize that the community holds us to the highest standards of conduct; and I take the expectation of accountability and transparency serious. We will continue our existing programs and expand on engagement opportunities for community dialogue on how we are doing and what we can do better.

I have been working alongside Sheriff DiBasilio as his second in command since October 2022. We have had a strong succession plan in place for uninterrupted continuity of operations at the Sheriff’s Office. Through recent budget cycles, I have shown this board how I work cooperatively and collaboratively with County Administration and other Department Heads, making hard but fiscally sound decisions without affecting operations or reducing programs at the Sheriff’s Office. That is thanks to the professional and highly experienced command staff that I work cohesively with and led by Captains Ballard, Sturm, Villegas, and the other Sheriff’s Office Administrators.

Rick DiBasilio leaves some big cowboy boot-sized shoes to fill with the expectation of how a Sheriff should be in our community and I will uphold that standard. My goal is to maintain a culture at the Sheriff’s Office focused on our core values by recruiting and retaining the best for Calaveras County.

The Sheriff is just one person. The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office is full of dedicated self-sacrificing individuals, with huge servant hearts, focused on our community.

I am so proud to be part of and hopefully to continue to have the opportunity to lead this team."

On August 26th, 2024, a local online news agency MyMotherLode.com reported the following:

Outside the government center on Monday, [August 26, 2024] former Calaveras Sheriff’s Captain Christopher Hewitt officially administered the Oath of Office to Whiting. Immediately after, Whiting bestowed the oath onto newly hired members and those who recently achieved a promotional advancement.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the following promotions were made (noting their years of service). New Undersheriff Chris Villegas with 26 years, Captain Anthony Eberhardt with 25 years, Lieutenant Chad Poortinga with 20 years, Sergeant Jesse Green with six years, Corporal Jason Longoria with five years, and Senior Dispatcher Jade Kesterson with three years. The new hires were Dispatcher Serena Kimes, Correctional Officer Madison Byrd, and Correctional Officer Christopher Lamke.

Sheriff Whiting concluded the ceremony by stating, "These employees are accepting a challenging role focused on heightening public safety and enriching the quality of life for all our citizens."

Several family members, and law enforcement leaders from neighboring communities, were on hand for the event.

As for who was in attendance at her swearing-in on Monday, the news article above didn't do justice to the number of people there. Like so many others, besides me being there to watch history take place that day, the front of the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office saw neighbors, friends, co-workers, local firefighters, members of the California Highway Patrol, and law enforcement officers from a lot of agencies even from as far away as Sparks, Nevada. It was an impressive showing of support.

My friends, while I know of at least one person reading this article who thinks I'm full of "BS," I truly believe you can tell a lot about someone's innermost character, their good soul, by what touches their heart. During the ceremony, there were a few brief moments when Rachelle Whiting had to collect herself and not let go of the stoic facade that goes with being a Cop. It was then that she spoke about the love that she has for her husband and family and those who she feels have been like mentors to her. She came close to losing it a couple of times, but as she has on different occasions, she used humor to get past the moment to attend to the business at hand.

There is a great deal that we learn about the goodness of others by the way they give credit to others for their achievements. I have a tremendous respect for people who do that. In her case, it was wonderful to see her give so much credit to her husband. She made it known that his support was a huge part of why she was standing there at that moment. And yes, my respect for her grew even more at that point. Witnessing such love and devotion between a couple brought tears to the eyes of many there.

As for the job at hand? I know Sheriff Whiting is up to the task. She is extremely caring. She has a great deal of empathy for others, their plight, their situation, and their circumstance. She understands the problems within our community. And yes, she's an extremely intelligent person, who also has a tremendous amount of common sense. What more can we ask for in a Sheriff?

Well, there's this. I love that Sheriff Rachelle Whiting is from here. I love that she grew up here, went to school here, got married here, attends church here, and goes fishing and four-wheeling here. Also, among other things, she's been that parent with a kid showing livestock at the County Fair. She's a fifth-generation in this county, and the fact that she has 24 years of service with the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, tells me that she knows what we need in our county.

She has my respect and admiration. She knows Calaveras County and the rural culture of the people who live here. And yes, I love that she's made history by becoming the first woman Sheriff in the 174 years of Calaveras County being in existence. While some see this as no big deal, let's remember that women have been treated like second-class citizens, kept down, limited, paid less, and in many cases were often treated as being owned like cattle in this country. So yes, it's a very big deal that Rachelle Whiting is the first woman Sheriff in this county.

Rachelle Whiting is the right woman to be our new Sheriff for all the right reasons. No, this was not some sort of political appointment. She didn't become Sheriff because she's a woman. She was our Undersheriff and she earned it and deserved to be promoted.

She rose through the ranks. She's worked hard. And yes, she's shown that she has what it takes, the right stuff, the smarts, the common sense, the drive to do well, and the ability to lead. She's not afraid to take on tasks. She has the strength to step up, take responsibility, and move forward to accomplish the objective. She does this while maintaining true faith in the Lord. Whether you're a man or a woman, those are extremely admirable attributes.

And no, if you're wondering, her life has not been all roses. Like many of us, life has thrown her huge challenges. Of course, the challenges have only shown her as someone strong, someone who weathers life's struggles, faces life with courage and gets past the losses. All that while not becoming bitter. All that while being a great Cop.

As for Rachelle Whiting becoming the "First Woman Sheriff of Calaveras County," the 24th Sheriff in this county's 174-year history? This is wonderful because she's always been an outstanding role model for young women, and now she is even more so. As an inspiration to others, besides having a career in law enforcement that many an officer would love to emulate, she's an excellent example of what women can achieve in life.

She will encourage aspiring young women to enter things that they are passionate about. Whether it's the law enforcement field, working in forestry, or whatever else fits their passion, Rachelle Whiting encourages young women to strive to fulfill their dreams. As for women in law enforcement, women are natural multitaskers who find balance and can shift smoothly between their roles in leadership and other roles such as Motherhood -- which in itself is tough enough.

As our new Sheriff, Rachelle Whiting is the perfect role model to encourage women to enter law enforcement in some capacity. Of course, when talking about her being an excellent role model, here's something else, Sheriff Rachelle Whiting is an excellent example to all young people living in Calaveras County. Sadly, some have the idea that they're somehow limited in life because they're from a rural county.

Because she's from here, Rachelle Whiting has shattered the unrealistic notion of young people being somehow limited in their goals because of being from a rural area. She's done so by showing young people that the sky's the limit no matter where they're from -- especially if you are a woman. Yes, she proved to everyone that a woman can reach the stars -- even if you're from a rural community like Calaveras County. She's proven that hard work and toughness wins the day.

I believe she will do an outstanding job. And I wish her all the best.

Tom Correa

Dangerous Dan Bogan

Dangerous Dan Bogan

Story by Terry McGahey

One of the least known and underrated gunmen in the Old West was a man by the name of Dan Bogan. Dan Bogan was born in Alabama in 1860 but was moved to Hamilton County, Texas as a young child. By the time he was seventeen or younger he became a cowboy. 

He had two older brothers who became involved in horse theft with one being killed and the other in prison. Known as a troublemaker, Bogan would challenge people to fights.  

On May 2nd, 1881, he and a friend by the name of Dave Kemp were making the rounds of the saloons causing trouble and challenging people. Kemp talked Bogan into leaving and when reaching their horses Bogan spotted a local farmer by the name of F.A. Smith sitting upon his wagon. 

He then began to insult Smith verbally. Then grabbing a chair for Smith's wagon and pounding it on the ground, he once again verbally insulted Smith. At this point, Smith told Bogan, "I don't whip dogs, otherwise I’d step down and whip you." 

Having enough Smith stepped down from his wagon, and as he approached Bogan, Dan reached into his coat pulling a pistol. But it was too late, Smith hit him with one punch knocking him to the ground. Smith then wrestled the gun away from Bogan and while doing so Bogan's friend Kemp ran over and hit Smith with his pistol. Smith then turned with his own gun toward Kemp and pulled the trigger, but his weapon misfired and Kemp fled. Afterward, Smith turned Bogan's gun into the Marshal. I’d say that old boy was pretty tough.

Shortly after Bogan left Hamilton County for the Texas Panhandle and then on to Wilbarger County, Texas. When arriving, Bogan joined up with a cattle drive working for the R-2 Ranch heading up to Dodge City, Kansas. Once in Dodge City, they hit the saloons drinking and partying and getting out of hand so Marshal Jack Bridges with his deputies ran them out of town. While leaving, a small gunfight ensued and a man by the name of John Briley was shot to death during the engagement while Bogan and the others fled town.

Once back in the Panhandle of Texas, Bogan teamed up with a fellow by the name of Tom Harris who started his own outfit called the "Get Even Cattle Company". Reason for that name is because he, Bogan, and others tried to start what you might call a union which got them blacklisted from the ranches of the area before Bogan had left on the cattle drive to Kansas.

Naturally, this outfit was nothing more than cattle rustlers picking up other ranchers' cows and changing the brands to their own, most likely with a running iron. Once the ranchers and county commissioners figured out what was going on and who the culprits were, they hired Pat Garrett of Billy the Kid fame to find them while insinuating he "should or could kill the ring leaders" which included Bogan.

Garrett and his boys gathered up about thirty head of what they figured to be stolen cattle with Bogan's brand on them. Bogan hired an attorney by the name of H.H. Wallace who demanded twenty-five thousand dollars in damages. Oldham County, Texas, fearing that Bogan might possibly have a case settled for eight hundred dollars. 

Later on, indictments were handed down against one hundred and fifty-nine cowboys including Bogan. Most of those cowboys fled the area which satisfied Garrett, all except Bogan and three other cowboys named Bassett, Harris, and Thompson.

In 1885, Garrett and Oldham County Sheriff Jim East learned where the men were hold up on the Howry Cattle Company headquarters in the Panhandle. Riding all night in a snowstorm, the posse reached the house where the men were hiding out. While out gathering wood, Bassett spotted the posse warning the others. 

Tom Harris yelled out to Garrett, "What do you want?" 

Garrett hollered back, "I have warrants for Woods, Thompson, and Bogan, but I have no issues with anyone else." 

Nine cowboys left the house only leaving Thompson and Bogan still inside, Woods was not there at the time. Refusing to surrender, a gunfight ensued with Thompson killed and three posse members slightly wounded, meanwhile Bogan escaped through the back in a blizzard that hit shortly after the posse had arrived.

In 1886, near Lusk, Wyoming, Bogan was working for the Vorhees Ranch and by this time he was known to have killed three men. It's said that the number was twenty-one, but I think this is exaggerated.

One of these men was the owner of a dance hall who had prohibited Bogan from his establishment. Bogan walked in and cold bloodedly shot the owner, killing him. After this incident the editor of a local newspaper by the name of Calkin had written that it was possible that Bogan was wanted in Texas and who had gone by two other names in his past. 

Bogan, along with another cowboy by the name of Sterling Balou, then set out looking for the editor. They entered the Cleveland Brothers Saloon with Bogan drawing his gun and hollering for Calkin and daring anyone to stop him. At this point one of the Cleveland Brothers brought a shotgun to bare upon the two while Constable Charles S. Gunn entered with his gun drawn causing the two to retreat and leave the area.

On January 14, 1887, Bogan was once again causing trouble in a dance hall when once again Constable Gunn entered the building backing Bogan down. Bogan, causing trouble again that same day, brought Constable Gunn to enter the building once more. Bogan with his gun behind his back asked Gunn if he was healed. 

Constable Gunn replied, "I am always armed." 

And with that, Bogan shot Constable Gunn in the stomach. While Gunn was on the floor, Bogan walked over and shot him again point blank in the head. 

During Bogan's attempted escape on horseback, Marshal John Owens shot Bogan in the shoulder with a shotgun knocking him from his horse. Arresting him, Marshal John Owens placed him in the back room of one of the saloons because they had no jail. 

Once again, a Blizzard hit, and with poor security, Bogan escaped once more. Marshal John Owens made the statement that Bogan wouldn’t get too far with his wound and about a week and a half or two Bogan sent word to Marshal Owens, he wanted to surrender and get medical help for his wound because it was beginning to get infected.

Bogan, fearing a lynch mob in Lusk was hesitant and when Marshal Owens took him back he had to fend off a mob that surely wanted to hang him. He was doctored up and the next day Marshal Owens took Bogan and headed towards Cheyenne, Wyoming. By February 4th, Marshal Owens placed him in the Laramie County jail. 

On September 7, 1881, Bogan was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. Another friend of Bogan's by the name of Hall paid a fellow by the name of Jones to commit a minor crime to be put in jail with Bogan. Jones had hidden sawblades in his shoes, and he and Bogan escaped again through a ventilator shaft. They were also accompanied by two other men named Charles Leroy and Bill Steary.

A posse led by Sheriff Seth Sharpless hunted to escapees with a bounty on their heads of one thousand dollars dead or alive.

Charlie Siringo, an Old West detective, began working undercover finding Hall and his cohorts but Bogan was no longer with them. Siringo produced enough evidence for indictments for Hall and the others resulting in their arrests for assisting Bogan. This hunt led Siringo to Utah and onto New Mexico where he located an old friend of Bogan's who told him, the last he knew Bogan was headed to New Orleans as to catch a ship to Argentina. 

Anything ever heard about Bogan from that time forward was merely hearsay. Charlie Siringo believed that Bogan came back to the United States, was married under a different name, and was raising a family somewhere in Texas. Another former friend of Bogan believed he was married with family living on a small ranch somewhere in Southwestern New Mexico. 

To coin a phrase we use nowadays for Illegal Aliens who disappear and are not apprehended, I guess Dan Bogan became a "got-away."

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Democrat Liars And Fakes

Story by Terry McGahey

Well, here we go. Now the Democrat Party has truly rubbed salt in the wounds of all patriotic Americans and those who have served our country. This party of anarchy just keeps getting worse every day. Just look at what incompetence they are trying to shove down the people's throats now. Harris, who has never been elected to any office on her own merits, but yet here she is running for the highest office in the land.

As a patriot, I will never sugarcoat my words or feelings when it comes to the people who want to destroy our country and Harris is the most far-left individual I have ever seen in my lifetime to run for this great office. How do I believe I know this? Simple, she picked one of the most far-left idiots in our country to run as her Vice President, that tells it all.

Just how did Harris get her real start? Well, it is very well known. When she was in her late twenties or maybe about thirty she carried on an extensive sexual affair with sixty-two-year-old Willie Brown, the mayor of San Francisco, who by the way was married at the time. Willie Brown gave her a major leg up by promoting her to all his buddies in order to get her the prosecuting attorney's position. 

Now I don’t know how you feel about this, but in my opinion that makes her nothing better than a whore, just the same as certain so-called starlets in Hollywood who use the casting couch to further their careers. 

Tell me, how is there any difference between the two? There is none! Even Judge Joe Brown stated how she would raise her skirt if it benefited her and in his opinion also, she is a "Ho."

Harris is nothing but a complete phony, or as Trump called her, a "Chameleon." This woman changes her ethnic background depending on the crowd she is speaking to and she even tried to speak with a southern accent when down south which I might add, she did a terrible job at it.

Personally, I would not let this woman be in charge of a latrine, much less be in a position of power, she will say anything and do anything to gain power. Mark my words, if this woman should win the White House she will throw this country further and further into Socialism/Communism than we have ever seen before in this country's history.

Now we have Tampon Tim. This man was the Governor of Minnesota during the Black Lives Matter and others burning down Minneapolis while destroying people's lives and businesses. Here is a man who spent all those years in the National Guard but did nothing except let lawlessness rule.

Speaking of the National Guard, this idiot has overstated his rank and has even said that he carried a rifle in war. This is just another lie because he never served in a war zone. STOLEN VALOR! This makes him nothing but a lying puke.

Old Tampon Tim has no problem with kids getting a sex change and becoming a girl or boy or whatever they believe themselves to be, not once they become eighteen years of age or older, but at any age. This man is sick!!! 

He also wanted to put tampons in the boys bathrooms in school, hence the name "Tampon Tim." You can’t get any further far left than this horrible, ungodly human being, but this is the idiot Harris chose. Again, what’s that say about her. Get a clue people, if they get into office you will wish you had Biden back in office. Slap me for even thinking that, but it’s true.

Folks, these two have proven they are soft on crime. When Harris was a prosecutor she let dangerous criminals out of prison with at least one of them killing again. Old Tampon Tim allowed the chaos in Minneapolis to take place without calling in the National Guard, and to top it all, no one was ever prosecuted for those horrible acts. I don’t know about you, but these are not the kind of people we need running our country.

I do not care if you are a Republican or a Democrat, don’t vote by personalities or party lines, vote according to their past records because a leopard cannot change its spots. If you only vote by personality you are part of the problem that we will face in this country for the next four years or possibly longer and by then it may be too late. 

Harris and Walz will be nothing more than puppets to the Democrat deep state just as Joe Biden was.

Different faces, same old crap.

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Tombstone's Boot Hill

Story by Terry McGahey

The Boot Hill cemetery in Tombstone Arizona first opened in the year of 1878 and was pretty well filled up by 1884 when it was closed. In 1884 the new cemetary was opened about a half mile west of town.

Below I have compiled the different reasons people were interned within Boot Hill, how they died gives somewhat of an insight of how they also lived, if murdered, by accident, natural causes, suicide, hanged or killed by Apaches. I will start with the lowest numbers of why they died leading to the largest.

Legally hanged. 

This number is much lower than what most people would think. There were only six men hung that resided in Boot Hill and one of them was a man by the name of Geo Johnson who was hung by mistake. Mr. Johnson bought a stolen horse and therefore hung as a horse thief only later to be found innocent. One other by the name of John Heath was taken from the jail by a lynch mob and hanged from a telegraph pole

Suicides. 

This number is much lower than I would have thought. Only seven are interred within Boot Hill for taking their own lives. I would have thought more because Laudanum, a mix of whiskey and cocaine was used widely during that time for pain relief.

Killed by Apaches. 

Only eight people in Boot Hill have met this fate. One man was stoned to death by the Apache while two others were killed while gathering wood. The other five are just listed as being killed. Again, I am surprised by that low number given the location in South Eastern Arizona which at that time was the Apache homeland.

Mining accidents. 

There are nine miners interred in Boot Hill because of accidents within the mines. Given the lack of safety during that time period, I would have thought many more miners would have died and been interned there. Of course, this doesn’t mean more hadn’t died in the mines, it just means there are only nine within Boot Hill.

Unknown deaths. 

There are thirty-four individuals in Boot Hill whose markers are just listed as dead and there are also others that have been lost to time. I am pretty sure some of these are natural deaths while others may be from other causes but only god knows the true reasons for their passing.

Natural deaths, disease, horse wrecks, and drownings in the San Pedro River. 

Forty-seven people in Boot Hill met their ends by the combination of fatalities listed above. Two young brothers drown in the river as well as two cowboys crossing the river. Two men had wagon accidents falling from their wagons and being crushed by the wheels. There is also one cowboy who was killed in a stampede. There are also several who died from disease including one young boy who died from drinking bad water.

Shot, Stabbed, or Murdered. 

In only five and a half to six years of burials in the Boot Hill cemetery, sixty-six people died of being shot, stabbed, or murdered in some other way in Tombstone. So between sixty to seventy months, this equals about one man per month shot down, stabbed, or murdered by other means. 

Putting another perspective on this, most of these killings were from the earlier years of the 1880s because by 1884 things quieted down in Tombstone to a degree, so this time period of murder is mostly within about four years. It’s true, Tombstone was one of the most dangerous Wild West towns in the country.

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

The Total Wreck Arizona Shooting 1882

Total Wreck, Arizona, c.1885.

Today it's a ghost town in Pima County, Arizona, with very little remaining to show that there was ever a "town there." It was founded in 1879. The population was large enough to open a Post Office there in 1881. The population was 200 or 300 residents in 1883, at which time the town included five saloons, three general stores, a butcher shop, a shoemaker shop, and a half dozen Chinese laundries. The Post Office officially closed when the town was abandoned just a few years later in 1890. 

The town was built 7 miles from what is today the ghost town of Pantano, Arizona, which sits between Vail and Benson along the old Southern Pacific Railroad line and the Empire Ranch. 

Silver was discovered in the Richmond lode of the Empire mining district in the eastern Empire Mountains in 1879. By 1884 mines of the area had produced some $5,000,000 in silver bullion. Mining declined through the 1890s and early 1900s.

As for its name, one story says that John L. Dillon, the owner of the mining claim, named his mine Total Wreck because he thought that the mine was on a ledge that looked like "a Total Wreck" -- especially since it sat below a quartzite ledge with large boulders of quartzite strewn all over. 

The other story of its name comes from an 1882 news story in The Los Angeles Times reporting that the "strange appellation" of Total Wreck came about when "After a laborious search for minerals in the vicinity of the mine, one day previous to its discovery, Mr. Dillon replied to a friend's inquiry of 'What luck?' by saying: 'Oh, it's a total wreck!' "

In one report from The Los Angeles Times in 1882, a report stated:

The town of Total Wreck has no appearance of a wreck. It is a thrifty, neat-looking village, the streets laid out at right angles. The main street is named Dillon Street in honor of the discoverer of the mine, and the first to discover minerals in this district... 

The town has two stores, two hotels, a restaurant, five saloons, a carpenter, a blacksmith, a butcher, and a shoe shop; also a dressmaker's store, a brewery, and about thirty-five houses... 

It has a residential magistrate and a deputy sheriff, and in case of trouble with the Indians or roughs,  Ninety men could be mustered within Sixty minutes.

Business owners in that year were "N.R. Vail, Salsig & Ballou, Chas. Altschul, A.J. Bobo, Snyder & Co., Nelson & George, P.J. Delahanty, John Vaughn, Alex. Chisholm, S.S. Danner, McClellan & Williams, and Mr. Ballou."

As for the Total Wreck Arizona Gunfight of 1882? Well, on December 2nd, 1882, The Tombstone Epitaph published the following story: 

Trouble at Total Wreck

The EPITAPH yesterday morning contained a brief telegraphic announcement of the attempted assassination of E.B. Salsig at Total Wreck, last Friday afternoon. Since then we have learned the following additional particulars:

The would-be assassin is a man named John Drummond, who is known to many residents of Tombstone. The trouble is supposed to have grown out of Drummond's interference with the sale of an important mine in the Empire District and the views Mr. Salsig expressed about the matter.

Drummond visited the store of Salsig & Sifford, called Salsig out on the street and interrogated him in relation to the matter, applying to him epithets which most men resist. Salsig hit Drummond. 

In response Drummond drew a revolver and shot Salsig there times. The first shot went through Salsig's arm, near the elbow,  fortunately not touching the bone, only making a flesh wound. The second shot struck his side pocket and went through his pocketbook and a bundle of letters, the ball dropped in the pocket; but for this, it might have produced a fatal wound. The third shot cut his coat just above the hip. 

Drummond was arrested and bound over to appear before the Grand Jury, in the paltry sum of $1500. It would be well if such characters as this Drummond could be summarily dealt with. 

-- (end of Tombstone Epitaph report of December 2nd, 1882).

Now according to some sources, legend has it that E. B. Salsig's bundle of letters were love letters. Legend has it that when Salsig was struck in the chest by that second bullet fired from Drummond, Salsig didn't die because he was saved by the large bundle of love letters. Supposedly, those "love letters" absorbed the impact of the bullet and saved his life. Legend also says that E.B. Salsig married the woman who had written those letters.

While I don't know if those letters were "love letters," it does make for a great legend.

Tom Correa

Do Democrats Want Trump Killed?

Has the Democrat propaganda machine worked? Has the Democrat Party poisoned the minds of so many that there are those who see it their "duty" to the Democrat Party to kill former President Donald Trump? Have Democrats gotten what they've been after for the last 8 years and truly incited the hate that they've wanted?

When I first heard about President Donald Trump being shot on Saturday, it didn't surprise me that much. I've sort of expected it for a long time now. And yes, besides thinking about that political cartoon above, I thought about the vile talk coming from Democrats who have demonized former President Trump to the extent that it has even surpassed their hatred for George W. Bush.

Like most of you, I remember how New York Democrats, the same sort of New Yorkers who recently took Trump to court, decided to portray Julius Caesar as Donald Trump in a Shakespeare In The Park stage play. You can read about it here, Shakespeare in the Park Show Features Stabbing of Trump Look-Alike

In short, the play was put on by Democrats who want to see Trump killed. In fact, during the play, they went about butchering the Trump look-alike on stage in the most bloody way possible. It was as if those Democrat actors were living out their fantasy of stabbing President Trump to death.




And really, who can forget the Hollywood actors who came forward to threaten President Trump. Didn't they understand that they influenced others with the same sort of hate for President Trump?

One crazed celebrity spoke about how she had thought about blowing up the White House since his election. Wannabe comedian Kathy Griffin made her threat very clear by being photographed with her holding a Trump-looking severed head and then posting it for all the world to see.

Actor Johnny Depp was onstage at the Glastonbury Festival in England when he brought up President Trump. Depp asked the audience, "Can you bring Trump here?" When the crowd began booing, Depp followed up by saying, "No, no, no, you misunderstood completely. I think he needs… help." To which he followed up by saying, "When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?" And the crowd cheered. Of course, actor Johnny Depp was making reference to actor John Wilkes Booth who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

And yes, my friends, I find it sort of interesting that the contempt that the wealthy Democrats in Hollywood and others have had for President Trump would be seen as acceptable. Of course, Democrats on their Democrat-controlled Mainstream Media outlets ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and the New York Times and Washington Post have all accused Donald Trump of everything from being worse than the nightmare of the Vietnam War -- while also comparing him to Adolph Hitler who started World War II and was responsible for killing millions. 

Democrats accuse Trump and his supporters of being a "threat to democracy" when they are in fact the perfect example of an "Oligarchy" that is the real threat to our democracy, our liberty, and our freedoms.

An "Oligarchy" is defined as a government run by "a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution." In this case, there is a small group of people in and outside of the White House, which includes former President Obama and his staff, who are in control of the White House. And frankly, this is the only explanation of what's taking place in the Biden Administration right now -- since the world knows Joe Biden is not capable of making decisions for our nation. 

So why is it that they project what they themselves are doing by saying Trump is a threat to democracy? It's the first rule of a con artist: keep the suckers focused on something or someone else while you commit the crime. That's what they are doing. 

Can this incite followers of the Democrat Party to kill Donald Trump? I believe that's what their end-game is -- to get one of their followers to rid the Democrat Party of Donald Trump because he stands against Socialism, Communism, the Green New Deal, the collapse of American Society, the end of our liberties and freedoms, and the Democrat Party's dream of a "One-Party" rule where the Democrat Party is in complete control of every aspect of our daily lives. 

I believe that that's what Democrats want Trump assassinated. It's all about power and complete control of the American people. 

Think about it. Democrats have criminally conspired to indict him over misdemeanors that they turned into felonies. They had his home searched looking for records that he was authorized to have. They have arrested him, convicted him, charged him again and again, and they have shot him. All while still inciting their followers to try to kill him.

And by the way, this latest wannabe assassin is reported to live only 20 miles or so from President Trump's home Mar-a-Lago. Yes, Jupiter, Florida is about 20 miles, or an approximately 30-minute drive, north of President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.

So is Trump's Assassination the Left's last resort? Think about this, the recent nutcase in Jupiter is not the only person on the Left who has made incendiary comments on social media since the July 13th attempted assassination of former President Trump. Democrats may be lousy administrators, horrible leaders, and morally bankrupt, but they are a success at what they do best -- creating fear, stoking the flames of hate, and instilling divisiveness, all while inciting their followers to think in ways that are not healthy. 

 All while getting their ilk to celebrate the death of an innocent American who simply wanted to support the candidate of his choice, and the attempted assassination of a former Republican President. And really, if they truly believe in the "democratic process" of electing Presidents, why incite such a thing as assassinating President Trump? Why create such hate as they have? 

There are Americans who believe that the Left sees assassinating President Trump as their last resort when it comes to stopping Donald Trump from becoming the next elected President of the United States. Yes, I'm one of them. I believe the Left sees his assassination as their solution to stopping former President Donald Trump from retaking the White House.

I can't help but ask if Democrats want former President Trump dead because they fear he will investigate and prosecute Hilary Clinton and others in the Democrat Party who were behind the criminal conspiracy that in reality was an attempted coup d'état which we all know as the "Russia Collusion Hoax." And for folks out there who might not have realized what took place during those Impeachment Trials, it cannot be denied that it was a coup by a small group of Democrats who were once in positions of authority wanting to overthrow a sitting American President.

Do Democrats fear Donald Trump will investigate the Democrat Party's use of the Department of Justice and investigate the Democrat Party's hold on the FBI and the Secret Service, or their use of the IRS to intimidate Americans?  Maybe they are worried that Trump will go after his political opponents the same way that they have? 

Do Democrats want to stop Donald Trump in any way possible because Democrats fear that he will expose them for what transpired at our Capitol on January 6th, 2021? Maybe Democrats are worried that Trump will request an audit of where the money for Ukraine has gone? Or worst for Democrats, maybe Trump will seek an audit of the wasteful spending on the Green New Deal?

Do Democrats want to stop Donald Trump from being President because they know that Donald Trump will stop the invasion on our Mexican border? Has the Democrat Party base eroded so much that they've needed to import 25 Million Illegal Aliens into the United States under Joe Biden? 

Do Democrats want him to launch a formal investigation to find out who was behind the plot to kill him in Butler, Pennsylvania? Why was the would-be assassin seen for over an hour and no one took action?

Why didn't the Secret Service do their job? Was the Secret Service part of a conspiracy to assassinate former President Trump? If not, then why would the supposed top protection service in the nation be so inept to do what most county sheriff's offices are capable of doing -- coordinating security and taking out threats? Why was that so hard to do? So hard that the Secret Service got one man killed and three others wounded, why is that?  

If you don't think Democrats want Trump killed, ask yourself why Democrats introduced legislation back in April of 2024 that would have stripped former President Trump of his Secret Service protection? 

Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat and ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, brought forth the "Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act"—or the DISGRACED Act — that would terminate Secret Service protection for individuals convicted of either state or local felonies. This was a direct attempt to make Trump a sitting duck for Democrat Party followers wanting to kill him. 

Thompson specifically mentioned Trump as someone whose protection privileges would be affected should he be found guilty as the former president faces four criminal indictments. In April, Donald Trump was the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee. He became the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case. Democrats tried to use that to pull Trump's security detail. 

Eight Democrats co-sponsored the bill. They were Representatives Troy Carter of Louisiana, Barbara Lee of California, Frederica Wilson of Florida, Yvette Clarke of New York, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Joyce Beatty of Ohio, and Steve Cohen of Tennessee. Why would they do that? 

To me, and I'm sure millions of others, the Democrats want his protection stripped because they obviously want him killed. 

Secret Service protection for presidents, other high-level officials, and select family members of those officials dates to 1901. Following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, Secret Service protection was expanded to major-party presidential nominees. Major presidential and vice presidential candidates, along with their spouses, are also offered Secret Service protection within 120 days of a general election. From what we saw in Butler, Pennsylvania, Secret Service protection is not that great. This makes me think that maybe Trump should supplement his security detail with people who want to keep him alive. 

By the way, the Department of Justice which is controlled by Democrats is trying to say that it's the Right, former President Trump, MAGA Trump supporters, Christians, Conservatives, and even members of our military who are a threat to democracy. 

But, where is their proof of such an assertion? Nowhere. It's just more projected propaganda that came out of the Democrat Party in charge of the Department of Justice. Nothing to substantiate their claims, and no mention of the threats coming from terrorist groups like ANTIFA and BLM -- which in itself should show the lack of credibility it has. 

Remember, within minutes of the assassination attempt on former President Trump, Democrats were posting on Social Media how they were sad that the would-be assassin missed killing Trump. And also keep in mind that it's been Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and followers of the Democrat Party who have laid the groundwork for their followers to attempt such a thing as killing Trump. Biden, Harris, the Democrat Party, and their minion in the Mainstream Media have portrayed Trump as "America's Public Enemy Number One." 

Yes, by repeatedly calling Donald Trump "an Autocrat who poses a grave threat to democracy," Democrats have inspired crazies to act out their strange fantasy of killing Trump. Yes, they have done so in the exact same way that Democrats inspired New York Democrats to portray Julius Caesar as Donald Trump in a Shakespeare In The Park stage play where they go about butchering the Trump look-alike on stage in the most bloody way possible. It was a play made for Democrats who wanted to live out their fantasy of killing President Trump. No, not much different than what the would-be assassin did in Butler, Pennsylvania, in real life.

So no, as sad as it is to say, I wasn't surprised that an attempt was made on former President Trump's life. I've believed for a long time that Democrats have tried to incite one of their followers to assassinate former President Donald Trump. It seems that this was all just a matter of time. It was just a matter of time before some nutcase who drank the Leftist Kool-Aid and believed all of the hate-filled rhetoric, outright lies, and distortions of facts coming from Democrats would attempt to do something so vile.

Yes, that's the way I see it.  

Tom Correa

Democrats Change Puppets In The White House

Story by Terry McGahey

Most of us realize that Biden, who I will not refer to as president, is not fit for the job and hasn’t been for quite some time now. His mind isn’t all there at times, he stumbles up and down stairs and can’t even give a reasonable reply to questions such as the disastrous debate he had with Trump.

The reason I will never refer to Biden as president is simple. There is no doubt in my mind that this administration is being run by the likes of Obama, the Clintons, Pelosi, Shummer, and many others within the highest levels of the Democrat party regime. Biden is nothing more than a puppet to what is called the deep state, they pull the strings and he dances to their tune.

Now that the Demo-Rats are leaving Biden just as though rats will quickly leave a sinking ship they can no longer pull the Biden strings in a successful manner with his diminishing health and cognizance. Many people across the country are waking up to the sham government we have been living under for the past almost four years and it’s about time!

If you notice even some of the old-time Democrat voters are waking up to this travesty of government and socialists we call our leaders. Better words rather than leaders would be treasonous criminals! In a world not that far removed in time of our own, it’s possible many of these people would have been hung or jailed back in the day of our founding fathers.

As we now know, Biden will not be the Democrat nominee for the 2024 election. Who knows which cat they will pull out of the bag to run against Trump. Harris or not, it makes no difference because anyone with any sense at all knows that whoever they choose the deep state will still pull the strings and make them dance to their tune of socialism and the further destruction of our great nation, all for their gratification of control, power, and riches.

It truly does my heart good to see that people of all races are beginning to realize just how far the deep blue state will go in their desire to turn this nation into a third-world country with them in total control. Who was it that backed the KKK? Who was it that wrote the Jim Crow laws? Who has been keeping the heels of their boots on the necks of the black population? Democrats in all three cases!

For years now, the Democrats have promised the black population and the Hispanic population to make things better. Still, as the Native Americans used to say, "It’s only words upon the winds." They will say anything and lie about anything just to get their votes. Afterward, they just revert back to their personal agendas, the proof is in the history of their actions.

In closing, I would like to ask everyone to get out and vote for Trump. No matter if you like him personally or not because at this time of our history, he is the only chance we have to save our great nation. 

God bless America!

About the Author

Terry McGahey
Associate Writer/ Old West Historian

Terry has been a working cowboy, a writer, and an Old West historian. He is best known for his fight against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9.

He was instrumental in getting the famous Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9 repealed while at the same time forcing the City of Tombstone to fall in line and comply with the laws of the State of Arizona.

If you care to read how he fought Tombstone's City Hall and won, check out:

The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Democrats Applaud Assassins Of Republican Presidents

After a shot ripped through his ear less than a quarter of an inch away for slamming into the side of his head, former President Donald Trump had the presence of mind to duck and get down low behind his podium. At that same time, while other shots rang out in his direction, former President Trump's Secret Service detail became a human shield for the former president before rushing him away. 

While that was taking place in Butler, Pennsylvania, I was part of a group of volunteers at an event in Murphys, California. I heard about it secondhand from someone who heard about it on the radio. My response was, "Is President Trump okay? Please tell me he wasn't killed."  

I was told that he was wounded and rushed away. I then got a call from my wife telling me what happened and how the assassin's bullet came so close to hitting him in the head that the bullet ripped through his ear just as he turned his head. Turning his head to look to his right at that moment actually saved his life. 

It's interesting what we think about after something like that takes place. As for me, in another year or so, I will turn 70 years old, and after hearing about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, I started thinking about how I was in the Second Grade and just a kid growing up in Hawaii in 1963 when we all heard about President John F. Kennedy being assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

I remember how the teachers told us that our parents would be there soon to take us out of school that day. I remember my grandfather picking me up from school. I remember thinking how strange that was since my brother and I always walked to school. I remember getting home and seeing my Mom and Grandmother in tears. I remember how a lot of people cried that day. It seemed like the entire nation cried that day. And no, I don't remember if anyone was a Democrat or a Republican that day. I really believe we were all Americans at the time.   

It wasn't that many years later in 1968 when his brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. He was shot and killed in a hotel in Los Angeles. Believe it or not, he was shot dead because he supported Israel. Even back then Israel had to fight to survive. And if you've come to the same conclusion as I have about Israel, you know as well as I do that they are surrounded by enemies. 

Years later, in 1975, I was in the Marine Corps and overseas when I heard about some crazy woman, a follower of Charles Manson, who tried to shoot President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California. It seemed like it was only a couple of weeks later when I heard that another maniac, also a woman, tried to shoot President Ford again. The second time was in San Fransisco. 

In that second attempt on his life, President Ford was just leaving the St. Francis Hotel in downtown San Francisco, when that crazy woman standing across the street fired a shot at him. The shot just missed President Ford. And no, I don't remember anyone saying things like "Too bad they missed" like I did when, in 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot outside the Washington Hilton by a nutcase who was supposedly in love with some actress. 

When that insane young man opened fire on President Reagan, he also shot James Brady, Thomas Delahanty, and Tim McCarthy. In that assassination attempt, it was said at the time that President Reagan was "right on the margin of death" when he arrived at George Washington University Hospital. Fortunately for America, President Reagan underwent surgery and recovered from a broken rib, a punctured lung, and internal bleeding. 

I was working full-time as a security supervisor and consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1980s. Because I was holding down a full course load at a local junior college during the day, I worked the swing shift and graves at night. I actually enjoyed working in private security because it was always different and my job of checking on security guards took me all over the East Bay from the worse parts of Richmond and Oakland and Berkeley all the way over to the Livermore Valley and down to San Jose. It was a big district. 

I remember how I met a lot of people who hated President Reagan. Many said things like how it was "a shame he lived" and "maybe they'll get him next time." 

Of course, like I said, I was also attending a local junior college at the time. Yes, I was trying to learn all of the things that I should have learned in High School but didn't. The week after President Reagan was shot, it seemed like most of the students and almost all of the teachers that I came in contact with were talking about it. I remember there being a lot of jokes going around campus. All were empty of any sort of empathy, humanity, or basic kindness.

While I thought there should have been some sort of discussion about how the hate for President Reagan may have attributed to the would-be assassin's decision to try to kill the president, no one was talking about that. I was very surprised that many of the people on campus, students and teachers alike, those who were supposed "very educated and intelligent" were in fact as callous as could be. I remember thinking how most there, especially the teachers, had zero compassion and were loaded with hate for anyone who was a Republican, Christian, Catholic, or Conservative. 

I thought there should have been some sort of sentiment of sadness over President Reagan and the three others being shot. But there wasn't. And frankly, it was then that I started to take note of the students and faculty who were making jokes about how sad it was that the assassin didn't kill President Reagan. 

And yes, I knew a student at the time who was still wearing a black armband because he was in mourning and was so deeply upset about Beatle John Lennon being killed in New York in December of 1980. But, just a few months later in March of 1981, while still wearing his black armband, he acted as though he was filled with joy when hearing that someone tried to kill President Reagan. It was back then that I started to really understand how the Left hates anyone not like them. 

As for their hate and demonizing President Donald Trump? 

Democrats have zero compassion for Donald Trump even though he was almost killed. They have zero compassion for Corey Comperatore, age 50, who was killed while trying to shield his family from the assassin. In fact, there are some Democrats who took to social media to say they are happy that Mr. Comperatore was killed. The Left has echoed that despicable sentiment showing the world that they also have zero compassion for David Dutch, age 57, and James Copenhaver, age 74, who were both shot and are now fighting for their lives.

Let's make something clear. It's one thing to disagree with a President's policies and it's another to hate a President just because your political party tells you to. The Left, the Democrat Party, hasn't cared about focusing on the issues or policies. All they have cared about is comparing him to Adolf Hitler and creating hatred for him. Projecting their own greed and authoritarian desires, the Left has painted Donald Trump as a "Dictator," a man only interested in power, a man wanting to destroy America. Too bad for them that Americans are not as blind to the truth as they wish we were.

And really, think about it, how does their portrayal of Donald Trump as some sort of diabolically evil jibe with the reality of what Donald Trump did when in office? How can the Left legitimize their hate when Donald Trump puts American interests ahead of others? How can they if they look at what he did while in office? Not what the Democrat propagandists say he did, but all the good that he did for Americans. 

As sad as it is, the Left depends on the help of the uneducated, the ignorant, the haters, and the uninformed to get their vile messages to take root. It's been proven time and time again that most Democrats merely parrot the Democrat Party's hateful propaganda. 

Most Democrats are completely oblivious of what Trump's policies are. The reason is that they listen to anti-Trump sources who want to distort how Donald Trump wants to put the interest of Americans ahead of the interest of the rest of the world -- something which we should all be for. 

The same ruthless lack of humanity that came from the Democrats when President Reagan was shot is the same sort of vile hatred coming from the Left since President Trump was shot. The hate coming from the Left is horrible, just horrible, and what's worse is the hatefulness from the Left has Democrats now applauding those who attempt to assassinate a Republican President. Check out the following examples of hate speech taken from social media Facebook:

As reported in the New York Post on July 14, 2024:

Dem staffer axed after saying Trump gunman should have taken ‘shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time’
Story by Olivia Land

A staffer for a Democratic congressman from Mississippi was fired for her inflammatory comments that she hoped the shooter who targeted Donald Trump “wouldn’t miss next time.”

“I don’t condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time ooops that wasn’t me talking,” Jacqueline Marsaw wrote on Facebook Saturday evening, shortly after Trump narrowly avoided being shot in the head during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Marsaw, of Natchez, worked as a field director for Rep. Bennie Thompson, the Natchez Democrat reported.

Marsaw was fired shortly after publishing the post.

Marsaw also wrote that the shooting — which killed one rally attendee and critically wounded two others — “couldn’t [have] happened to a nicer fellow,” though she insisted that it was a “staged” incident.

“That’s what your hate speech got you!” she added in a third post, seemingly referring to Trump’s often-controversial takes on social and political issues.

As of Sunday morning, all the posts had been deleted.

“I got overwhelmed in the moment,” Marsaw told the Natchez Democrat.

“I am a diehard Democrat,” she added.

She deleted her posts after she was instructed to do so by a manager on Thompson’s team, Marsaw explained. (-- end of New York Post news story)

To his credit, after Congressman Thompson became aware of the social media post above, he promptly fired her.

Then there's this news story from Shore News Network on July 17, 2024;

Elementary School Teacher Wanted to See Trump Dead in Failed Assassination Attempt

DENVER, CO — The Jefferson County School District has issued a statement affirming that it does not “endorse violence” after one of its teachers made controversial remarks about an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Jennifer Ripper, a teacher at Semper Elementary School, faced backlash following her comments on social media expressing disappointment that the assassination attempt was unsuccessful.

Ripper wrote “Looks like he ALMOST got taken out” on Facebook, which quickly went viral after being shared by popular social media accounts, including Libs of TikTok. The post included a response from Ripper to another user who expressed remorse that the shooter “missed,” to which Ripper replied, “my thoughts exactly”​.

Libs of TikTok

She then defended herself saying, “Yes, I’m a teacher. I think for myself and want others to do the same. No matter, now he’s a martyr.” (-- end of the Shore News Network news story.)

So, do you think it's ended here? It hasn't. 

Democrats have used the Department of Justice to go after Donald Trump instead of going after the people behind the Russian collusion conspiracy. Biden's DOJ has searched his home, arrested him, and orchestrated his convictions on misdemeanors that ran their statute of limitations. Democrats have charged him with things that other presidents are forgiven for. And yes, they have succeeded in getting one of their followers to attempt to assassinate him. 

Are there more? Are there other followers of the Democrat Party who will now step forward to try to kill former President Donald Trump on behalf of the Democrat Party? What do you think?

Fox News reported today, July 20th, 2024:

Florida man arrested for 'written threats to kill' Trump, Vance days after assassination attempt
The Florida man made multiple threats, including bodily harm, against Trump and Vance's families

"A Florida man was accused of making 'written threats to kill' former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance and their families just days after a Pennsylvania man attempted to assassinate the 45th. President. The Jupiter Police Department announced that 68-year-old Michael M. Wiseman was arrested on Friday for charges of written threats to kill. Authorities alleged that Wiseman wrote threats against the Republican presidential nominee and vice presidential nominee on his Facebook account and also made to members of the Trump and Vance families." 

And by the way, this latest wannabe assassin is reported to live only 20 miles or so from President Trump's home Mar-a-Lago. Yes, Jupiter, Florida is about 20 miles, or an approximately 30-minute drive, north of President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.

This leads me to ask how many other followers of the Democrat Party's hateful propaganda are out there, wanting to kill President Trump? How many others have the Democrats incited to assassinate former President Donald Trump? And really, how many other Democrats will celebrate every time there's an attempt on his life?

Tom Correa

Eric Trump's Excellent RNC 2024 Speech

 Eric Trump Speaks at RNC 2024

Eric Trump spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Thursday, July 18, 2024. I liked his speech so much, that I wanted you to read what he said. Below is the transcript of his speech:

Good evening, America. 

Eight years ago, my father sat our family down. He spoke of a nation in decline, of dreams slipping away, of a future endangered by failed leadership and broken promises. It was in that moment I knew my father had made a decision that would forever change our lives. We realized he had chosen to step into the arena to fight for the soul of America. 

He’d decided to leave behind the comforts of an unbelievable business empire, to leave behind everything he had ever built, to answer the call to serve our nation. 

Unlike his predecessor, it was not a decision born out of necessity. Unlike the current president, it was not a decision that would enrich his family. Rather, it was a decision made out of love for this country and a deep concern for America’s future.

My father was clear it would not be easy, that there would be a huge price to pay, and that the attacks would be vicious. 

Looking back, that was an understatement. The made-up Russia hoax, the sham impeachments, the efforts to destroy an unbelievable company, a company that I run today, the efforts to cancel us, to silence him, to gag his free speech, and to drag him through every radical left courthouse in America, to take his life. 

Yet, through it all, he’s shown unwavering courage and determination, not just in public, but in every private conversation with me and our family. He stood tall, fueled not by personal ambition, but by a profound love for this country, and a love for all of you, the American people. 

That man is my father. That man is the 45th president, and soon to be 47th President of the United States, that man is Donald J. Trump.

Each time I’ve stood on this stage, America has been at dire crossroads. In 2016, many people began to doubt the promise of America, our economy was struggling, jobs were scarce, our standing on the world stage was weak at best, veterans were forgotten, our military was in shambles, our educational system was broken, ranked 30th in the world. 

He could no longer tolerate an inept administration that handed $150 billion to Iran, a country that, “Chants death to America,” or witness continued attacks on our constitution and our religious liberty, or see the disrespect shown to our unbelievable law enforcement officers, who are being disarmed, defunded, and persecuted each and every day. 

He could no longer stand to see words like Christmas stripped from public use, or the Pledge of Allegiance removed from our schools.

But my father saw potential where others saw despair. Donald Trump built the New York City skyline. He did so during a time when businesses were turning away from the city he loved. Crime was rampant, the streets were dirty, but he had the Midas touch, and he turned those streets and neighborhoods into gold. 

He faced every challenge with tremendous vision and grit, as he did during the 2016 election. He rolled up his sleeves, he remained unapologetic, he did not care to be politically correct. He restored hope, he restored a voice to millions of Americans who had been ignored, he restored the American Dream.

Under my father’s leadership, the economy climbed to record heights, jobs were created at an unthinkable pace, unemployment reached historic lows across all demographics, wage growth soared. He cut taxes for hard-working families and businesses, he slashed regulations. 

We saw the greatest 401(k) increase in American history. People bought their first homes in an environment that saw 2% to 3% interest rates. They started their families. My father made the United States energy independent with the lowest gas prices in decades.

My father made the United States safe. Our borders were closed. There was peace in the Middle East. Soleimani, al-Baghdadi, the terrorists were dead. 

My father made the United States respected again, with the courage to walk into countries like North Korea, with the courage to impose tariffs on China, and with the courage to tear up trade deals that cost Americans their jobs. He brought manufacturing back to America, small businesses flourished. He did what he promised, he put America first. We were winning. Donald Trump made America great again.

But he also created a movement. A movement that threatened the special interest in the political elites. A movement that cast a bright light on the institutions weaponized against the American people. You see it in our schools. God bless the moms who fought back. 

You see it in your workplace. You see it on every news station, in every newspaper. You see it in the military. The most iconic military installations on planet Earth are stripped of their identity and renamed, Fort Bragg, Benning, Fort Hood. You see it in Hollywood. You see it in our two-tier judicial system. They don’t even hide it anymore.

My father has been censored, the former president ripped off Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, while terrorist organizations remain intact. 

My father has been persecuted, targeted by far-left Democrats, funded by special interest groups and hand-picked judges. My father has been pulled off the ballots of states, radical justices attempting to defy the will of millions of Americans who adore who he is and what he stands for. 

My father even became the target of an assassin who almost killed America’s single greatest hope for our future. 

The Swamp is terrified of this incredible movement, they’re terrified of it. They’re terrified of you, and the tens of millions of people watching us on TV right now. They’ve tried everything to keep him from you, everything, to destroy his legacy, to destroy his family. They have failed, and they will not win. I love my Florida delegation right here. Thank you.

My father stands before you with the most votes of any Republican candidate in the history of our nation. He has defied the predictions of every political pundit. He fills stadiums across our country. He energizes Americans to the issues facing this nation, and does so with unvarnished honesty. 

He is not a threat to democracy, he’s a threat to those who despise our republic, many of whom are bought and sold, bribed and coerced, people who have never signed the front of a check, and who have been dependent on the government their entire adult lives.

Today, as it was in 2016, America’s at that crossroads again. Energy prices are soaring, interest rates are crippling, everything is unaffordable. The US dollar has been diminished. Inflation has made it impossible for Americans to live, to save for their future. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our border is out of control. 

Millions are dead and displaced in Russia and Ukraine, a war that has no end and a war that we are funding. The Middle East has become a hornet’s nest. Our greatest ally, Israel, totally under siege. 

Fentanyl is killing our youth and destroying families, while the current administration stands idly by, hoping their inaction will import illegal votes. Crime terrorizes our cities and our suburbs, as far-left policies handcuff police, male athletes, guys my height, six foot five, are swimming in women’s sports, destroying the dreams of young girls who have trained every minute of their lives.

We no longer trust our elections, we no longer trust our judicial system, and we no longer believe that our government is working in our best interest. 

In spite of where we are today as a nation, I’d like to speak to every American. To the homeless veteran sleeping under a bridge as illegal immigrants are housed in the most expensive hotels in New York, I’m sorry, we know it’s wrong, and we will fix it. 

To the single mother who can no longer afford her rent, afford groceries, and has been forced to work three jobs, I’m sorry, it does not have to be this way. To the parents who lost a son or a daughter to fentanyl, including the incredible woman that spoke the other night, while an administration does absolutely nothing, I’m sorry, your government can do so much better, and it will. 

To the children who are being brainwashed instead of learning the fundamentals in school, I’m sorry, there are teachers who care, and my father will empower them.

To the law enforcement officers, our brave Border Patrol, Secret Service agents, who work every single day to protect our communities, knowing damn well that the system will throw you under the bus, I’m sorry, we will stand behind you. 

To commuters, often petrified to take a bus, take a train, or walk the streets in cities across our nation, I’m sorry, that man right there will fix this. To the construction workers, to the middle class families, to the families with children with disabilities, families who can no longer afford medical benefits or to take a vacation, I’m sorry, we will make America great again. 

And to my father, who has been ruthlessly silenced, slandered, and attacked, by a corrupt administration, I’m sorry, we know and America knows that they’re not just after you, they’re after all of us, and you just happen to be standing in their way.

To all Americans watching tonight, the greatest retribution will be our success, success not just for ourselves, but for our grandchildren and our children. 

Under President Donald J. Trump, the Swamp will be drained, America will be respected, our cities will be safe, our streets will be clean, and our border will once again be secure. We will have peace, we will have prosperity. 

Your hard-earned tax dollars will enrich a better America, not be squandered in corrupt foreign nations. Education will be handed back to the states, we will no longer be 30th in the world, we will be first.

Our children will understand family, our children will have values, and our children will love God. Our country will prioritize free speech, respect freedom of religion, and honor our constitution.

As his son, I’ve never been more proud of a person in my life. A man who has defied all odds more than once, a man who believed in the promise of America when others turned away, a man who saw a nation in need of a champion, and answered that call with unwavering determination and courage, a man who survived a bullet that was intended to eliminate him permanently from our future and from our family.

Never have I been more proud to be a Trump. Never have I been more proud to stand by my father’s side. I remain incredibly honored to be part of this journey, a journey with all of you, a journey to save the greatest country on Earth, a journey with the most incredible people I have ever met.

Dad, five days ago, Laura, Luke, Carolina, and I, held our breath as we saw blood pour across your face. By the grace of God, divine intervention, and your guardian angels above, you survived.

You are the greatest fighter I have ever seen. You are strong, you are full of life, and you are unapologetic. Your optimism is contagious, your backbone is unbreakable, your conviction to fight for what is right, and against all that is wrong, is truly next level. 

The whole world saw your strength as you stood up, you wiped the blood off your face, and you put your fist in the air in a moment that will be remembered as one of the most courageous acts in the history of American politics. You shouted, “Fight, fight, fight.”

I’m honored to be your son. I’m honored to speak to our great nation tonight. You are a true leader, you epitomize strength. Our country loves you, our country appreciates you, our country misses you, and on November 5th, our country will re-elect you as the 47th President of the United States of America. Good night, Milwaukee. God bless you all.

-- end of Eric Trump's RNC Speech.

I posted it here because he is honest, correct, and accurate, and because it has a message that every American should hear. It goes to the heart of why we need to support former President Trump.

Tom Correa