This cannot become our new normal, John.
John,
Yesterday marked one year since a gunman tried to assassinate Donald Trump at a campaign rally. And a month ago today, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were tragically killed in their home in a brazen act of political violence.
Political violence is on the rise. According to a new NPR/PBS/Marist poll from last month, 73% of respondents see politically motivated violence as a major problem — and that includes folks from across the political spectrum. A further 76% of respondents believe there’s a “serious threat” to our democracy.
We agree.
What we’re living through is a slow-burning crisis — one where anger is stoked for profit, and where people stop seeing each other as neighbors and start seeing enemies. The longer we let this persist, the harder it becomes to dial back the temperature.
But it's not too late.
John, turning down the heat doesn't mean looking the other way or staying silent about what's happening in our country. It means standing firm without sinking to the level of those who use fear and violence as tools. It means drawing clear lines — and making it unequivocal that violence has no place in our democracy.
If we want a different kind of country, we have to model it. In how we speak. How we organize. And how we respond to political violence both now and in the future.
Thank you for reading.
In solidarity,
LeftNet
P.S. Curious to learn more about the article and poll’s findings? Click here!
