Letter to the editor: Why don't we better protect our presidents, candidates?

How many times have we heard the same refrain from a U.S. president, federal officials serving in the Secret Service, FBI and Central Intelligence Agency, and news media pundits after a president or presidential candidate has been assassinated or wounded in assassination attempt?

There have been multiple attempts to assassinate a U.S. president, of which four were successful. There also have been multiple attempts to assassinate a presidential candidate, of which one was successful.

Why is the protection of our presidents and presidential candidates so flawed? Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle stated that the rooftop was too slanted for the Secret Service agents to be secured on the roof; yet the assassin who attempted to kill Trump in Butler July 13 had no problem being secured on the rooftop.

It has been reported that the Secret Service was notified of the assassin on the rooftop 30 minutes prior to the shooting. This appears to be the same policy to defund the police and release without bond killers, rioters, rapist, drug dealers, etc. What have we become as a nation, a people, to tolerate such indifferences to the well-being of every American?

John Kostelac

White Oak