Dear members of the Wabash community,
Everyone on campus and around the country opened their phones Wednesday afternoon to tragedy. When news of political commentator Charlie Kirk’s death spread across the internet, many among us, students and faculty alike, were distraught when they heard the news. We here at The Bachelor are no exception.
The events of Wednesday afternoon are just the latest in a swelling trend of political polarization culminating in violence. From the plot to kidnap Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, to the insurrection on Capitol Hill on January 6th, 2021 and two assasination attempts on Donald Trump, the list sadly grows with Charlie Kirk’s murder.
What is perhaps most disturbing about this latest instance in a series of political violence is that the trend shows no immediate sign of slowing down. Next week it could be a news anchor, next month a senator.
Alarming wouldn’t begin to describe how Americans should feel about these plots and incidents. Our country was founded on principles of free speech and democracy, and political violence such as this threatens these principles. Acts of political violence demonstrate a lack of faith in our democracy, our institutions and our way of life. If we are to stem the tide of these disturbing crimes, we must take a hard look at ourselves and the society we create.
This trend of increased political violence is surely tied to the vast canyon between political parties and Americans as a whole. Older generations speak of days when Americans, no matter their political affiliations, could speak with one another with decency and respect; today that sounds like a fantasy. Online echo chambers and the toxicity of social media have fueled this descent into hate. This complex web of hostility and dysfunction goes beyond a single individual or group. Destroying this web will require ripping out individual strands. A wave of a hand or a call for thoughts and prayers won’t save us from this trap.
If we are to take solace in anything, one must be the fact that we at Wabash are equipped with the tools to curb political polarization in our own communities. The rhetorical and analytical skills we hone through our education prepare us for moments like these. When there seems to be nothing but chaos and hate, we can cut through with reason, patience and empathy. As powerless as we may feel to stop an assassination, we could help prevent the next one by approaching one another with patience and grace, rather than vitriol.
The other cause for hope that all Americans can cling to is that our nation has weathered storms of political unrest and bloodshed before. From the massacres of the Civil War to the violence targeting the Civil Rights Movement, generations of Americans have endured strife caused by hatred between countrymen. Despite the darkest days, Americans have always held onto the dream of a better tomorrow. Like our ancestors in those trying times, we may not succeed in building a better world today, but as long as we are fighting every day to leave a more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren, we will do right by them.