There once was a time when tragedy brought our nation together. Now, all that emerges after an unforeseen crisis is more division and dishonesty. No longer do we view our ideological opponents as our misguided neighbors — instead, they are our enemies.
While there is nothing wrong with political disagreement, we are all Americans. We are blessed to live in a diverse, immigrant-rich, melting pot of a country. The American experiment, while undoubtedly flawed, still represents and protects freedom better than any other country. We have forgotten our shared privilege as Americans — and in the aftermath of turmoil, we need unity the most.
Next month will mark 18 years since Sept. 11, 2001, a day that changed our nation forever.
Those of us who are old enough to remember the attack will also never forget the unifying moments afterward. On the steps of the Capitol, Republican and Democratic members of Congress gathered as a group, united against evil. Once the remarks were finished, they began singing “God Bless America.” At that moment, the nation didn’t see separate parties and agendas. Instead, we saw our fellow Americans, reeling from an attack against the land they loved.
Days later, President George W. Bush made history with his bullhorn speech at ground zero in New York City, standing near the rubble of the twin towers:
The nation sends its love and compassion…to everybody who is here. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for making the nation proud, and may God bless America.
On 9/11, our nation lost thousands of innocent lives. But other tragedies with fewer casualties once resulted in solidarity and unity too.
The Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, and the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, were both domestic acts of violence and terror. Despite the specifics of each crime, which involved white males, guns, and bombs, Americans came together, not apart.
President Bill Clinton’s speech to the nation after the Oklahoma bombing said as much:
After each of these horrific events, I distinctly remember the outpouring of love, sympathy, and revulsion from those across the political spectrum. Overwhelmingly, there was unity against evil, not discord because of it.
Yet now when similar tragedies occur, it seems the first reaction is to point fingers at political adversaries instead of mourn as one wounded country. Social media has only exacerbated this divide.
While we may differ on how to best address the fallout from any type of violence, we must stop assigning bad faith to the other side. Do Democrats who favor more gun control really wish to leave Americans vulnerable to violence? Do Republicans who support the Second Amendment protected really do so because they don’t care about mass shootings?
Of course, the answer to both of these questions is a resounding “no.”
Neither the Left nor the Right wishes for more death at the hands of the deranged. But without beginning at this logical starting point, it’s easy to descend into partisan blame.
When political finger-pointing overtakes our discourse, the destruction caused in a few moments of violence continuously threatens to tear us apart. We may never be able to completely eliminate violence, but we certainly can work on reacting to it in a way that aids our national healing, rather than hindering it.
Kimberly Ross is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog.
