When was the last time I spoke to — and really listened to — someone whose politics differed from mine?
That’s a question we should all ask ourselves today. Because the only way out of this worsening cycle of political hatred — that hit a new low with Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Trump — is for all of us to commit to doing and being better.
On Saturday morning, thousands of Americans showed up in Butler, PA, to cheer on their favored candidate and exercise their constitutional right to free speech and free assembly. There’s nothing more quintessentially American. But before the day was over, a former and possibly future president was wounded, and an innocent person was dead.
If this doesn’t wake us up to the seriousness of this moment and the importance of changing the tone and tenor of our politics, it’s hard to imagine anything ever could.
Yesterday marked the beginning of the Republican National Convention, and we are less than four months away from a historic election. No one should expect — or want — candidates in either party to do anything other than make the strongest possible case for why they should be elected.
But it isn’t hard to identify the language and behavior that crosses a line — language that paints a political opponent as an evil “other” who is intent on destroying our country.
This has to stop, and the way to start is with each of us. We all have the power to change the way we talk to one another and engage in politics. No Labels wants to invite you today to commit to being part of the solution. We’d like you to sign the “One Nation Commitment,” in which you’d promise to safeguard the fairness and integrity of America’s democratic process by:
- Acknowledging the election winner certified at the joint meeting of Congress in January 2025 as the legitimate president of the United States.
- Calling on your elected representatives to work with the new president, regardless of party, to find commonsense solutions to America's most pressing challenges.
- Serving as a voice for calm and reconciliation by opposing those who endorse or engage in violence that harms people, property, or public spaces.