Tone Down the Rhetoric
” We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” – Abraham Lincoln
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In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, Lincoln’s words, uttered during the horrific Civil War, can be a healing balm if only politicians, the media and activists who have promoted heated rhetoric and division would embrace them. It’s going to take leadership from both parties for it to happen.
Leftist social media bemoaned that the shooter’s aim was not more accurate, suggesting a wish that Trump had been killed. Right- wing sites blamed Democrats, including President Biden, who recently said, “We’re done talking about the debate. It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye.” Will this remark be denounced across the political spectrum? Probably not.
The Atlantic recalls another incident when denunciations of former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin followed her “targeting” congressional districts: “In March of 2010, Sarah Palin released a map of 20 congressional districts she and John McCain
