"He was young and vibrant, the spokesman for a new generation. But when he was gunned down, there was some cheering amid the widespread shock. I'm not talking about Charlie Kirk, who was murdered on a Utah college campus last week; I'm talking about John F. Kennedy. But the fact that similar words can be used to describe both political assassinations underscores this point: Resorting to violence to further political goals is not a partisan disease."
"It never has been, and it certainly isn't today. Unfortunately, not everybody understands that, notably the president of the United States, who saw Kirk's murder as a reason to blame his opponents on the left. But just months before Kirk was gunned down, prominent Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman, her husband and dog were murdered in their suburban Minneapolis area home."
Political violence has affected leaders and activists from both parties and is not confined to a single ideology. Assassinations and assassination attempts have targeted figures ranging from John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X to recent victims and survivors across the political spectrum. High-profile examples include murders of Melissa Hortman and her family, the shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords, and the attack on Rep. Steve Scalise, as well as celebrations by some observers after violent acts. Political violence breeds retaliation and hatred and risks metastasizing unless leaders and citizens reject violence, lower political temperature, and recommit to civility, respect, and community.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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