Dear Reader,
Political violence, or any violence directed against a candidate for elected office, is unacceptable. America is a country where we resolve those differences at the ballot box. It’s precisely for that reason that we must not let the attack on Donald Trump become an excuse for silencing political debate. Americans have to be able to freely discuss ideas, policy, and candidates’ qualifications in advance of an election. So, while last Saturday’s attack is a reminder for folks on both sides of the aisle to avoid the kind of invective that incites violence, talking about the candidates and their respective merits is fair game.
Vigorous debate is essential as voters make up their minds about who to vote for. Even Donald Trump insists on it. He argued in court that the First Amendment protected his right to engage in political speech, even when it was only marginally political and concerned the prosecutions against him. Both Judge Merchan in the Manhattan DA’s case, and Judge Chutkan in the Washington, D.C. prosecution agreed, narrowly tailoring restrictions on Trump’s speech to protect courthouse personnel and jurors. That left Trump with a full range of political debate on the table and he took advantage of it. The so-called gag orders even permitted him to criticize prosecutors and judges, and claim the cases brought against him were directed by Joe Biden, despite the absence of any evidence to that effect. There is no reason to believe that other Americans have weaker First Amendment rights around a campaign than the candidates themselves.
Political debates should never involve the use of language like “some folks needed killing,” as one gubernatorial candidate recently said. It’s a good moment to be careful about the casual use of expressions we frequently rely on in conversation like saying “fighting” when we really mean debating, or putting a “bullseye” on someone when we are scrutinizing a position they have taken. Everyone understands that Trump and Biden are two very different candidates and the directions they would take the country in differ sharply. The attempt on Trump’s life doesn’t change that. Those differences mean that debate over the issues should be robust. Americans deserve that.
