As we end another violent week in America, thoughts this morning from veteran journalist James Fallows, author of 12 books and the man behind Breaking the News on Substack:
The ordinary days or weeks roll by. Then, in an instant, we know that things have changed, and we're on an unknown path. These moments—of sudden awareness that "history" is happening around us, but confusion about its shape and theme—are unforgettable, and painful.
Many of today's Americans can remember the shock of such a moment 24 years ago, when the World Trade Towers came down.
Now, with the gun killing of Charlie Kirk, following the gun killings of Melissa and Mark Hortman in Minnesota, and the many other escalating acts of political violence, on top of endless school shootings, we have entered another such time
Political gun murders have written too much of American history, from Abraham Lincoln onward. But I can remember when routine political violence was a major factor, in daily life and in government.
John F. Kennedy was murdered. Then, Martin Luther King, followed by Robert F. Kennedy. Gerald Ford survived two close-range shooting attempts. Ronald Reagan was shot, but recovered. Around the world, politics and violence merged.
What do I take from those times? Two things.
One is that the cycle of political violence is far more damaging, self-reinforcing, and long-lasting than people who have not lived through it can imagine. Loose talk about "vengeance" and "civil war" is playing with catastrophe. The more powerful the speaker, the more dangerous it is. Real American life is far less fractured than the polarized warfare of social media. Our real leaders are the ones reminding us of that now. We, the people, can respond by seeking more real-world connection with those around us.
The other is to be wary of our immediate reactions—unless they are generous. Twenty-four years ago, New Yorkers rushed to support one another. Just days after that attack, in his finest moment as president, George W. Bush went to the Islamic Mosque in Washington to reassure American Muslims.
And on April 4, 1968—two hours after learning of Martin Luther King's death, two months before he would be murdered himself—Robert F. Kennedy gave, impromptu, the finest speech of his life. From the pain and uncertainty of his times, he might have been speaking directly to us, in ours:
"We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times; we've had difficult times in the past, and we will have difficult times in the future. ... Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world."
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Story produced by Annie Iezzi. Editor: Jason Schmidt.
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Commentary: James Fallows on the lessons to take from political violence
/ CBS News
As we end another violent week in America, thoughts this morning from veteran journalist James Fallows, author of 12 books and the man behind Breaking the News on Substack:
The ordinary days or weeks roll by. Then, in an instant, we know that things have changed, and we're on an unknown path. These moments—of sudden awareness that "history" is happening around us, but confusion about its shape and theme—are unforgettable, and painful.
Many of today's Americans can remember the shock of such a moment 24 years ago, when the World Trade Towers came down.
Now, with the gun killing of Charlie Kirk, following the gun killings of Melissa and Mark Hortman in Minnesota, and the many other escalating acts of political violence, on top of endless school shootings, we have entered another such time
Political gun murders have written too much of American history, from Abraham Lincoln onward. But I can remember when routine political violence was a major factor, in daily life and in government.
John F. Kennedy was murdered. Then, Martin Luther King, followed by Robert F. Kennedy. Gerald Ford survived two close-range shooting attempts. Ronald Reagan was shot, but recovered. Around the world, politics and violence merged.
What do I take from those times? Two things.
One is that the cycle of political violence is far more damaging, self-reinforcing, and long-lasting than people who have not lived through it can imagine. Loose talk about "vengeance" and "civil war" is playing with catastrophe. The more powerful the speaker, the more dangerous it is. Real American life is far less fractured than the polarized warfare of social media. Our real leaders are the ones reminding us of that now. We, the people, can respond by seeking more real-world connection with those around us.
The other is to be wary of our immediate reactions—unless they are generous. Twenty-four years ago, New Yorkers rushed to support one another. Just days after that attack, in his finest moment as president, George W. Bush went to the Islamic Mosque in Washington to reassure American Muslims.
And on April 4, 1968—two hours after learning of Martin Luther King's death, two months before he would be murdered himself—Robert F. Kennedy gave, impromptu, the finest speech of his life. From the pain and uncertainty of his times, he might have been speaking directly to us, in ours:
"We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times; we've had difficult times in the past, and we will have difficult times in the future. ... Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world."
For more info:
Story produced by Annie Iezzi. Editor: Jason Schmidt.
See also:
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