Back in September, I wrote about the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. In the aftermath, I asked my fellow Nebraskans and Americans to settle our arguments the right way — by talking, not by picking up a weapon.
Now, seven months later, I must write about another act of senseless violence. I was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, a celebration of the First Amendment, when a gunman tried to charge the event entrance in an attempt to assassinate President Trump. Those in attendance got down to the floor as soon as we saw Secret Service agents rush into the filled ballroom.
Thank God for those agents and local law enforcement. They stopped the shooter before he even got to the floor where the ballroom is located. He is in custody and will be held accountable. But we must ask ourselves: how did we — as a nation — get here? The things this man wrote online and in his manifesto were deeply alarming.
This country was founded on a simple but powerful idea: people can strongly disagree and still get along. Our entire system of government was built around argument and debate, because the Founding Fathers believed that was healthier than tyranny and violence. The idea of civility and debate only works if we treat each other like human beings, even when we are on opposite sides of an issue we care deeply about.
That does not mean we have to agree. It means we fight with words. Our ideas should compete in elections. That is what keeps a free country free.
If we can hold onto that, even when things feel dark, we honor the people who have been hurt by political violence. We prove that America settles its disagreements at the ballot box and the debate podium.
We can and must do better. Please join me in praying for our country and for everyone affected by this kind of violence. I am deeply saddened, but I have not lost hope. I pray you won’t either. It takes all of us to change the tone of our political discourse. I hope you will join me.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.