Wednesday’s shocking attack on members of Congress in Alexandria, Virginia sparked plenty of discussion throughout the day. There was plenty of good and bad from all sides, with plenty of finger pointing directly after the news broke early in the morning. But for the Congress members and those who were on the baseball field practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game, it was a moment to show unity. Paul Ryan shared a statement saying that “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us” and others from both sides of the aisle offering prayers and support to those affected by the shooting.
For Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah, it’s the reaction that should take over the political discussion going forward and one that should be shared by these politicians when there’s not a tragedy on the other end. As Noah points out, he found out that Senator Al Franken was friendly with Jeff Sessions before their showdown during his confirmation hearing and it surprised him that more weren’t aware of those sort of details. These are people who share different political views and they do yell at each other from time to time, but they’re also people by the end of it all.
It’s a message of unity that Americans could use, especially in a time like this. The political divisions between people have never been clearer in the aftermath of the 2016 Election. It certainly didn’t begin with the nasty campaigns for the presidency, but they took advantage of feelings that had been bubbling for quite some time and the events in Alexandria is a prime example of what happens when it goes too far.
There’s no guarantee that a calmer political discussion would change things, particularly with the more extreme groups out there, but it would be better than carrying your enemies list with and treating each day like it’s war. It’s guaranteed to be forgotten, like it has many times before, but it’s good to highlight this path when the chance presents itself.
(Via The Late Show)