As retired law enforcement and a military veteran, I’ve spent my life standing against threats to our safety and democracy. But the past year has tested that resolve like never before.
A couple months ago, I wrote about the tragedy that was the murder of Minnesota Speaker Hortman, and the attempted assassination of Sen. Hoffman. Just a few weeks ago, Charlie Kirk was gunned down in Utah during an event on a college campus, the most recent example of the deadly spiral that is the political violence gripping our nation.
Kirk, a father and husband, was assassinated not for a crime, but for his ideas.
Last summer after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, I called on Democrats — and all Americans — to unequivocally denounce such despicable acts, emphasizing that no political grievance justifies bullets. In June, when a Minnesota Democratic state representative and her husband were murdered in their home, I issued another plea: This must stop. I warned that unchecked rhetoric and division were fueling a fire that could consume us all. Now, with Kirk’s killing, that fire rages.
Where are we as a country? At a perilous tipping point. Political violence is at its highest level since the turbulent 1970s, with more than 150 incidents recorded in the first half of 2025 alone. It’s not just high-profile targets; these actions erode the fabric of our republic.
In Oregon, just days after Kirk’s death, three of my colleagues received hoax bomb threats, prompting evacuations and investigations by state police. These weren’t pranks — they were terror tactics designed to intimidate and divide. Across the nation, lawmakers from both parties report a surge in death threats, doxxing, and harassment.
This isn’t hyperbole; it’s a crisis demanding moral clarity. Violence solves nothing — it begets more violence, shattering families and trust. As I said after Minnesota, “Close to a year ago, someone tried to assassinate President Trump. Now, we’ve lost good people to this madness.”
Kirk’s death echoes that: a reminder that no side is immune. We must reject the lie that “the other side” deserves it. Instead, let’s channel our passion into ballots, not bullets.
I will be the first to say that the other side of my political ideas is not the enemy. They are a human being, a fellow citizen, with the right to believe what they wish, protected under the first amendment of this great country. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, friends and neighbors, they are flesh and blood who deserve the right to live free of fear of death for having an opinion.
It must start with us: choose dialogue over destruction. Leaders must tone down the vitriol, media must fact-check fury, and citizens must call out threats in our communities. Honor Kirk and the Minnesota victims by vowing peace. Our democracy thrives on debate, not death. Let’s reclaim that promise before it’s too late.
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