Bridging the Divide: Blue Perspective

We Respond As Individuals

In the morning of September 11, Braver Angels CEO Maury Giles shared with the membership some thoughts in the aftermath of the assassination the day before of Turning Point USA founder and executive director Charlie Kirk. One can read his message in full here.

Giles offered sound advice and I encourage all to consider it. Immediately below is a key excerpt (emphasis in original).

Braver Angels stands for the idea that we each have a choice about how to respond: do I take one more step toward political violence, or do I take one step toward vigorous and respectful debate?

I can’t control what others do; I can only control how I respond.

Please think carefully about both parts of that last sentence above.

Most important of all for the health and safety of our society is that as many people as possible choose the direction of vigorous and respectful debate rather than political violence. 

It is also highly important that as much as possible we liberate ourselves from the task of tracking the responses of other people, particularly of those who espouse opinions different from our own. Such score-keeping is also a response, and not a healthy one.

I make somewhat of an exception with respect to people who hold positions of responsibility. Elected and appointed officials ought to be held accountable for their behavior. They bear a public trust.

But random people on social media? Influencers? Celebrities? Media personalities? 

I say let it go.

We accomplish nothing good by railing against the bad behavior we perceive in such people who have no consequential connection to ourselves. Neither in sharing outrage with those who are like-minded nor by expressing outrage toward those who tend to be other-minded do we improve the lot or the understanding of ourselves or anyone else. And when we associate ordinary people with yet others’ bad behavior, we ourselves are doing harm.

All of us respond to the world around us as individuals. The better we recognize this for both ourselves and for others, the better our society will be.

Toward the conclusion of his September 11 message, Giles shared mutually resonant quotes from two prominent individuals whose general outlooks are very different from one another. To amplify such positive messages is all to the good and I am glad to do so here:

“The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work… Engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse. In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate—never through violence. Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.” — Gov. Gavin Newsom

“My message to young people who are so impacted by Charlie Kirk: you’d make Charlie awfully proud if you continued fighting. But also if you fought in a way where at the end of the day, you can go have a cup of coffee with someone who you disagree with, and show that there’s a humanity to this important endeavor that we’re involved in.” — Matt Schlapp

As a closing thought, please remember this line from Giles’ essay:

For every person who feels our cause is hopeless, there are others who see Charlie Kirk’s assassination as a call to do something productive for our country. This is our time to step forward and show a better way.