We’re grieving. We’re angry. And we’re better than this.
On a day when a life was taken at a campus many of us know, some of the loudest voices in America raced to assign blame and promise revenge before investigators finished a single shift. That’s not leadership. That’s lighter fluid.
Disagreement is healthy. Hate is not. Politics in a free country is supposed to be a competition of ideas, not a contest of which group can dehumanize the other faster. We are teaching our children by example what to do with fear and grief. If we teach them to point at millions of fellow citizens and call them evil, we should not be surprised when the country feels unlivable for everyone.
Here are three things we can hold at once:
- A human being was killed. That deserves our complete compassion and patience as facts emerge.
- Political violence is an American problem, not a partisan one. In recent years, people across the ideological spectrum have been targeted. If you only condemn violence against “your side,” you’re not condemning violence, you’re negotiating it.
- Rhetoric matters. War talk, calls to “avenge” and collective blame make unstable people feel deputized. Leaders with big platforms have a special duty to cool temperatures, not spike them.
Americans first. I’m asking each of us, right, left and independent, to say so out loud: We condemn political violence without carve-outs, reject collective guilt and wait for verified facts before assigning motives.
And I’m asking something more: Stop hiding behind keyboards and screens and talk to each other. Knock on a neighbor’s door. Invite a colleague who votes differently for coffee. Show up with curiosity, not a script. The only people who win when we retreat into our corners are those who profit from outrage. The rest of us lose our country one sneer at a time.
This is not a call to be quiet about the issues that matter. Argue boldly. Demand better policy. Hold the powerful to account. But do it without stripping opponents of their dignity or painting half the country as enemies. We can be fierce about ideas and gentle with people. That is the American way at its best.
So here’s a pledge I will sign with my full name:
- Facts first. I won’t claim a suspect or motive until authorities do.
- No collective blame. I won’t indict entire parties, movements, faiths or communities for the acts of an individual.
- No “war” or “avenge” language. I won’t speak in ways that invite retaliation or vigilante logic.
- De-amplify notoriety. I won’t share gore, manifestos or rumors. I’ll share verified updates and ways to help victims.
- Show up. I’ll attend or host at least one face-to-face conversation with people who disagree with me, and I’ll listen.
I know being the first mover comes with risk. I will sign this personally. No anonymous actions here. If you’re willing to take that same risk with me, add your name. We can disagree without dehumanizing. We can grieve without threatening. We can be a country again.