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Dear Neighbor,
I’ve been reflecting this week on a few things – violence, free speech, social media and the state of our democracy, among others.
It seems like every time I open my phone, it’s more bad news. More visceral depictions of violence. More people dying. More people disagreeing.
But maybe we can’t even call them disagreements – because that implies that we’ve listened to those we oppose. And I don’t see a lot of that happening these days.
Twenty-four years ago this week, political ideology didn’t seem to matter too much as many of us watched the twin towers fall. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost that day — and we came together and vowed to never forget.
On Thursday, we honored that promise. We took a moment of silence, we acknowledged each other’s humanity, and we recommitted to building a safer, kinder world. I don’t see a lot of people disagreeing about the lessons from 9/11.
Yet the day before, on Wednesday, as we watched an assassination in real time, I was struck by the fact that we can’t just remember the world we hope to build once a year or when it is convenient — we have to remember and reaffirm our commitment through our actions every day. And the foundation of that commitment is protection of our individual liberties and embracing the necessity of listening to and engaging with our fellow Americans with whom we disagree, even in the deepest,
most intense ways.
I fear some of us forget this foundational democratic principle in a world that can sometimes feel so hopeless – a world that in a single day saw a political assassination at a college campus and a mass shooting at a high school. The violence of our world can feel so far away from us yet so close and constant when we’re watching it from a smart phone on a daily basis.
But we cannot let this onslaught of images, this constant barrage of the worst of humanity, desensitize us. Even worse – allow us to deny the humanity and inherent worth of those whose views we find most objectionable.
Because when we communicate using violence – or even celebrate violence against those we most disdain – instead of communicating with words, logic and non-violent action, we lose all hope of progress.
This is our moment to choose: to turn away from division and turn toward each other. To demand leaders who heal and engage instead of harm and blame.
To raise children who believe in a better way.
My most sincere hope is that every person, and especially every elected leader, asks themself this question today and every day: are my actions building the world up or tearing it down?
Because the world we create is ours to choose. It’s a choice we have to make actively every single day and put into practice.
It’s important we all remember— violence only begets violence. Division destroys democracy. But humanity — recognizing our shared humanity — heals. And together, we can make the choice to build a better world every single day.
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