When Words Turn Dangerous, We All Bear Responsibility
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The recent act of violence surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Dinner should give all of us pause.
Not only because it was alarming, but because it is becoming less so.
Political violence rarely begins with action. It begins with language, with the tone we accept, the words we repeat, and the way we speak about those with whom we disagree. Over time, rhetoric that once felt extreme becomes normalized. What once felt unthinkable becomes possible.
Many of us believe we would never cross that line. But the more important question is whether we are contributing to an environment where someone else might.
I am the granddaughter of a World War II veteran who landed on the beaches of Normandy, and the daughter of a fourteen-year-old Cuban boy who came to this country alone in search of freedom. Freedom, to me, is not abstract. It is personal, earned through sacrifice, and entrusted to us with the expectation that we will protect it.
Today, we face a different kind of threat. Not from a foreign adversary, but from our own culture—a culture that too often rewards outrage, deepens division, and blurs the line between conviction and contempt.
Through my work with the Sunshine 100 Network in partnership with The Carter Center, I have seen the impact of intentional engagement across differences. Leaders and ordinary people from political, faith, and civic spaces are coming together not to agree on everything, but to restore a baseline of respect and shared responsibility.
As a woman of faith, I believe we are called to be peacemakers, to act with humility, and to remember that the dignity of every person matters. In the faith community, there is also a recognition that how we speak and act carries weight beyond the moment. Regardless of political or spiritual differences, this is a time to pause and reflect on what guides us, whether that is faith, principle, or a shared commitment to something greater than ourselves.
When we begin to see one another as less than human, it becomes easier to justify harm.
This is not a challenge confined to one party or one ideology. Violence does not remain isolated. It escalates, spreads, and ultimately affects us all. That is why this moment calls for more than condemnation. It calls for reflection.
Before assigning blame to a side, we should examine our own words and actions, how we engage, what we amplify, and the standards we are willing to uphold even in disagreement.
If we want a different kind of country, we must model a different kind of character. Before we point fingers at the other side, we should stand in front of the mirror and ask whether our words, our posts, and our tone are building bridges or tearing them down. If we want a better future, it begins with choosing restraint over rage and responsibility over chaos.
The responsibility belongs to all of us, and so does the opportunity to honor those who came before us, and to build something better for the generations that follow.
The Sunshine 100 Unity Network is a cross-partisan network of Florida residents that promotes values central to our democratic republic, including support for fair, safe, and secure elections and support for peaceful political engagement. Visit sunshine100.org/ to learn more, and follow us on Facebook.
