Of course, there is no place for political violence in America. I deplore the killing of Charlie Kirk and the targeting of anyone for offering a political opinion.
The freedom to express differing viewpoints is a vital element in a healthy democracy. So, when potentially deadly gunfire is directed at public figures such as Steve Scalise, Gabby Giffords, and Donald Trump, or the attempt to silence the Pennsylvania Governor by arson or the assassination of a Minnesota legislator, perpetrators are not attacking just an individual; they are targeting our political foundation.
Ideas, logic, compassion, and truth are the appropriate munitions to direct at a political opponent. We need true debate, a competition among opinions, to advance political agendas. In modern American government that is sadly lacking.
It has become too easy to silence opposition. Peaceful protests are interrupted and gerrymandered legislative districts remove opposition voices. Speakers on college campuses are bullied, media outlets threatened with lawsuits, and specious criminal investigations target those who dare challenge those in power.
Eliminating an opponent becomes the ultimate, twisted attempt to silence.
We must move beyond words and transform our politics
It is time for our country and our leaders to go beyond simply decrying politically motivated violence. We must transform the nature of contemporary political disputes. It is wrong to be “at war” with the opposition, and those offering opinions are not “combatants.” We are poorly served by those who take a “win-at-all-cost” approach to public discourse.
It takes honesty and courage to submit one’s ideas for public scrutiny. Inevitably, you will be challenged. One’s motivation will be questioned. Assumptions will be confronted. Conclusions will be dismissed. Yet, in a fair forum, good ideas can prevail.
That concept is meaningless in a world where violence stifles debate.
Basic civics lessons need repeating. Our system of government embraces differences of opinions. Our legislative bodies were designed to resolve differences through structured discussions. And, we agree that the conclusions reached by a majority should rule the day. Any effort to subvert the process is an affront to democracy.
I take no issue with anyone having contempt for a policy position. That is well within the right of an opinionated individual. However, I do object to directing that contempt to a person. Too often that is the motivation for political violence. It is those ad hominem hostilities that nurture political violence.
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Alexander Hamilton, in the first of the Federalist Papers in 1787, raised an important question, “whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.”
A founding belief is that reflection and choice prevail over force
The United States, since its founding, has relied on the belief that reflection and choice will succeed over force. And, with some notable exceptions, the tradition of reflection and choice has carried our country forward.
The Constitution that Hamilton argued for includes noteworthy abilities to remove from power officials who fall into disfavor or disgrace. For the most serious transgressions, there is impeachment. Congress can censure or unseat a member. In some jurisdictions, recall is a remedy to remove an elected official.
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The most important tool for removal is embodied in the Constitution. It is the same mechanism that establishes the policy direction of our country: elections. We all have the power to defeat those we disagree with, and we can do that without violence. Elections provide us with powers comparable to the most successful revolutionaries, the power to overthrow a government. And that power can, and should, be exercised without shedding a drop of blood.
Our country retains the scars of political violence. The pantheon of names like Kennedy, King, and Lincoln are revered. It is my prayer that we set a political course so that no additions are added to those scars.
Cavalier Johnson is mayor of Milwaukee.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Charlie Kirk shooting shows need to transform politics | Opinion