Can We End Political Violence?

The murder of Charlie Kirk came one day after the release of our new book Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times. Sadly, this is the nation’s latest episode of political violence including the murder of Minnesota senator Melissa Hortman and her husband and attempts on the lives of Donald Trump and Pennsylvania governor Joshua Shapiro. 

But the potential for violence goes way beyond politics, including aggressive drivers giving people the finger on the highway, situations that can lead to road rage. Another example is violence in medical settings. I noticed a sign at my orthopedist’s office: “Our staff and patients have the right to work in and visit a safe and respectful environment. We will not tolerate violence, physical aggression or verbal abuse towards our staff or fellow patients.”  

I was told they get nasty comments almost every day. One person threw a clipboard that hit a receptionist in the chest. A doctor observed that there no longer seems to be social consequences for bad behavior; it used to be unacceptable and embarrassing for the person involved, but that seems to be less the case today. 

News reports recount physical threats against school board members and airline employees getting self-defense training. The New Hampshire legislature felt compelled to pass a bill to protect school sports referees from irate parents and fans.   

These are dark times in our country, and we all need to promote a climate of treating everyone with dignity and respect. We can replace distain with positive energy and a hopeful spirit that can have a  positive ripple effect. Political violence should have no place in our country, but neither should road rage or attacks on medical personnel.  We all need to do our part, and I hope our book will have an impact.

We each have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, including our own. Don’t underestimate your impact!   

For more on this topic, see an upcoming post on our free “Together Across Differences” substack https://togethernow.substack.com/.