Longtime readers of The Mining Journal’s Opinion page are familiar with columnist Cal Thomas, a reliably conservative writer who has been around for a good many years.

We have found that close readings of Thomas’ columns — he typically writes at least two per week and apparently never takes a day off — will reveal, to some degree at least, what Republican Party thinking is on this topic or that one. In fact, we know of some liberals who follow him for that reason alone, to get an idea what Republicans are saying behind the scenes.

So, with that as a back drop, it was with a sense of amazement that we read his latest offering, titled “Who’s to blame this time?” (Editor’s note: This column can be read at https://www.miningjournal.net/opinion/2026/04/whos-to-blame-this-time/) It was a follow to last weekend’s attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at a Washington, D.C. hotel, on the occasion of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

With deft phraseology emblematic of a professional writer, Thomas is careful to cite both Republican and Democratic rhetoric as part of an overall matrix of hate that may give rise to violence. But he largely lays blame for the incident at the doorstep of Democrats, citing strategist James Carville, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland as among key offenders.

We won’t spend any time here contesting what Thomas had to say about these particular Democrats. It’s all 100% correct. And only a little research will reveal more Democrats who say similar things about the president and other Republicans. But that would be cherry picking to make a point, not recommended for this kind of mess.

The problem, Mr. Thomas, isn’t Democrats alone. It’s Republicans, too, and Independents and virtually everyone else involved in political or cultural discourse this days. We have established an societal environment so warped, so twisted, so toxic, that abhorrent behavior is all but guaranteed. And yes, that can mean violence.

The dirty hands are on both sides of the aisle on this. There’s no limit to what the parties will say about their counterparts. It goes on and on.

And make no mistake, it’s at home, too. If you watch, listen to or read the kind of garbage we’re talking about, you are a part of it. You are contributing to river of bile that threatens to wash away our proud republic.

Want to do something about it? Be a smart, information consumer. Find sources on- and offline that provide the truth and stick with them. And here’s something to keep in mind about truth itself. In any given circumstance, there is only one truth. Period. Not multiple truths or alternative facts. One truth. There may be, and not unreasonably, a number of interpretations of the truth. But only one truth.

Thomas tagged his column with a good question: “Why can’t the other side be the Iranian leadership, Russia, North Korea and China? Don’t we already have enough enemies without creating new ones among ourselves?”

We wish we had a good answer.