In wake of Charlie Kirk killing, we must stop this hatred and acrimony

Last week was emotionally difficult for so many of us.The somber 24th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, brought back, as it always does, memories of those killed that day and those who have since died from 9/11 related illnesses, and the families that still tear up for them.

We remember the horror of watching the twin towers billowing with smoke before collapsing.There was another tragedy, just the day before, as Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was murdered at an on-campus event in Utah.Another act of senseless violence left a young wife and two small children without a husband and a father.We recoiled at the images of this young man being fatally struck by a bullet from a high-powered rifle.Sadly, these attacks seem to be happening more frequently.

The two assassination attempts on President Trump as he campaigned for office last summer, the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the attempted murders of Steve Scalise and Gabby Giffords, and, let’s not forget, the terrible school shootings in Minnesota, Colorado, and elsewhere.The list goes on.What’s driving this bitter hatred, this paroxysm of outrage and retribution?There are many factors, I’m sure.

But isn’t our overheated rhetoric, our automatic, knee-jerk reaction to, at a minimum, verbally attack anyone who has a different opinion, another point of view, at least partially, if not largely to blame?I’m old enough to remember when it was possible to speak respectfully with those with whom we disagreed.To use an example from the not-so-distant past, President Ronald Reagan, a conservative Republican, and House Speaker Tip O’Neill, a liberal Democrat, were almost always at odds politically, with two distinct world views on the size and role of government.Still, they were friends who liked each other personally and treated each other with respect and dignity.

Hard to imagine that happening today between the leaders...