Labrador Letter: America Demands Answers!

Dear Friends,

There are critical moments and images in American history that we remember clearly. For many before us, it was the bombing of Pearl Harbor or the assassination of JFK in Dallas. For the next generation, it may have been the moon landing or the Challenger disaster that many of us watched in classrooms. For all of us, we remember the towers falling on 9/11 or the flag being raised at Ground Zero amidst the twisted rubble.

This last Saturday afternoon, another memory has been seared into our national consciousness as President Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in rural Pennsylvania on live television. Although President Trump survived, we mourn and honor Corey Comperatore, the man who was senselessly killed at the rally and those who were wounded.

It is the image of his immediate reaction, his fist raised, his admonishment to the crowd and to America to fight that people will remember. He displayed undeniable courage. He inspired us to not be deterred or afraid. That is the image that will stay with us long into the future – an unscripted and raw look at his personality and mettle in the face of very personal and intimate danger; defiant and unbowed.

American people are rightfully demanding answers to the assassination attempt. There are too many unanswered questions about the entire situation to satisfy even the most casual observer. I doubt we will ever have satisfaction, and the event will likely take its place in the pantheon of conspiracies, as well as a textbook example of gross incompetence, negligence, and the very real risks of social engineering.

At the core, however, there is a culpability that we all share. We have allowed our political discourse to decay. We have allowed those with whom we disagree to become demonized. We allow the use of labels and descriptions that create an environment that cannot help but foment political violence. But after last weekend, there is no longer plausible deniability for the words we choose or allow to be chosen.

Rarely is that incendiary language challenged by the media or calmer voices that demand civility or even a rational discourse on policy. That kind of respectful exchange doesn’t drive clicks or boost ratings or bring in advertising dollars.

Groups with agendas are trying to make people irreversibly furious by appealing to the absolute worst parts of human nature. They want us to see those with whom we disagree as less-than-human. We allow others to assign motives as they seek to preserve their own power. That person is racist. This person is a dictator. That person wants to destroy democracy. That person wants to lock everyone away in a camp. It’s not a new tactic to degrade, blame, and devalue a person or group to the point where their very humanity is utterly stripped away. Even this week, just a few days after the shooting, the Lincoln Project is circling the RNC convention with ads calling President Trump a “virus,” and “dictator” while attempting to raise money with ads comparing President Trump to Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Kim Jong Un.

Those who want us to be angry with each other want to escalate that anger. Don’t get me wrong. There is lots to be angry about. Our dissatisfaction is genuine and our concerns for our nation are undeniably sincere. We face real problems that deserve real solutions. But let our passions be expressed in thoughtful ways that elevate the conversation and attract even those who disagree with us to our cause. Let us be cognizant of our own actions. Let us take time to understand why we are angry, and why others with whom we disagree are angry as well. We have more in common than the media and special interests want us to realize. Let’s work together to bring our nation together.