Disagreement Under Fire

Debate is how democracies breathe. Disagreement is natural—even necessary. But in America today, the space between the two has turned deadly.

A Minnesota lawmaker and her husband were murdered in their home. Another lawmaker and his wife survived an assassination attempt. These aren’t isolated tragedies. They’re alarms.

We’ve seen this before—when violence was used to silence dissent. Back then, it was burning crosses and lynch mobs. Today, it’s AR-15s, online threats, and middle-of-the-night ambushes.
The weapons change. The motive stays the same: punish those who disagree with you.

And it’s not just Minnesota. There have been assassination attempts against Trump, sitting governors, and members of Congress. Different parties. Same threat.
Disagreement is being met with bullets.

What’s worse? We saw it coming.

Coarse language, veiled threats, and political dog whistles have built a culture where violence feels justified. Social media fans the flames.
Leaders stoke fear instead of appealing to conscience. And too many of us look away.

We’ve created a space where lone actors feel called—not by principle, but by propaganda.

But this country is still ours to shape.

If you see your representative engaging in gutter politics, call their office. Send an email.
Demand they act with integrity—because they represent your values and your community.

Call out cruelty. Reject division. Demand integrity.
Because civic courage begins with ordinary people who still believe in decency—and act like it.

Democracy isn’t something we consume. It’s something we build—together.
It’s a reflection of who we are, individually and collectively.

The alarms are blaring. But we’re not powerless. We still have a voice.
Let’s use it to call this country back to its better self.

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