First, a note: This is not meant as a partisan statement. It’s an honest reflection on the troubling trajectory of our public discourse and the rising tide of political violence in our country.
Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed an unsettling pattern. Each time a public figure becomes the target of violence, the cycle repeats: shock, condemnation, a few days of promises to “do better,” and then — silence. The outrage fades, but the tension remains.
I think that we all probably saw it. Yesterday, Charlie Kirk, a well known, right-leaning christian conservative activist was shot and inevitably killed at Utah Valley University. Now, I am not going to get into his affiliations and political views. It simply does not matter in the context of what I am trying to talk about in this article.
What troubles me most is not the ideology of any individual targeted, but the deeper reality: people — fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, neighbors — are being treated as enemies for the simple act of speaking their minds or engaging in public life. When dialogue is replaced by intimidation, and disagreement escalates into violence, the very foundation of democracy begins to fracture.
As I sat with the news late last night, one thought kept echoing in my mind: someone has lost a father, a wife has lost her husband, parents have lost their son — all because of a difference in political opinion.
The craziest thing, this is becoming the new norm. We’ve seen examples far too close to home. High-profile leaders and judges have faced assassination attempts. Rallies, debates, and community gatherings — events that should embody dialogue and exchange — are increasingly shadowed by the possibility of violence. It feels like we’ve drifted from a shared sense of decency and respect into a climate where disagreement breeds hostility instead of conversation.
Too often, moments that should be defined by debate, civic engagement, and the exchange of ideas are instead overshadowed by the specter of violence. It feels as though we’ve drifted from a culture of mutual respect into one of suspicion and hostility.
If we want to change this, the solution begins with us. It requires courage to pause, to look inward, and then to look across the aisle with empathy. It means remembering that the person who holds a different opinion is not our enemy but another human being with family, with loved ones, with a story of their own. Only when we reclaim that basic recognition can we begin to rebuild common ground.
From that foundation, real progress becomes possible. We can disagree passionately, but we must reject violence and choose compassion, understanding, and compromise instead. That is how we move toward genuine solutions for the challenges facing our nation.
This climate of violence cannot become our new normal. It’s on us — all of us — to reject hatred, restore civil conversation, and choose empathy over animosity. My hope is simple: that we can begin again, not as rivals locked in battle, but as neighbors committed to a shared future.
If you are interested in more of our content, head to our website at catchmarkcommunity.com, our YouTube, or our Facebook page!
