“Political Violence Has No Place in America.”
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan penned an op-ed in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune condemning the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the troubling rise of political violence, while calling on Americans to come together in unity to defend free speech and stand together against violence.
“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are more than historic virtues; they are the foundation of our republic,” writes Buchanan in the op-ed. “These core American values are protected and preserved by our Constitution and our First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Americans can speak freely, debate openly and disagree peacefully. Today, that freedom is under attack.”
In the op-ed, Buchanan reflects on his decades in public service and the troubling rise in political attacks, from two assassination attempts on President Trump to the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker and, most recently, the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Read the full op-ed here or below:
Political violence has no place in America
Congressman Vern Buchanan
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are more than historic virtues; they are the foundation of our republic. These core American values are protected and preserved by our Constitution and our First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Americans can speak freely, debate openly and disagree peacefully.
Today that freedom is under attack.
The heartbreaking assassination of Charlie Kirk while he engaged in public debate has shaken both our nation and our community here in Longboat Key, where Charlie and his family owned a home and frequented.
Charlie was a patriot, a husband, a father and a man of God.
He was also one of the few willing to walk onto college campuses and speak openly when many were afraid to. By doing so, he inspired countless young Americans to get involved, to debate and to realize their voices mattered.
Charlie’s tragic murder for his speech is another horrific example of a dangerous trend: political violence is on the rise in America.
In my nearly 20 years in Congress, I have never seen the surge in political violence that we have witnessed over the past few months.
Our nation has endured not one, but two assassination attempts on President Donald Trump’s life; an arson attack targeting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family; the murder and attempted murder of Minnesota State Speaker Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffman; and countless other acts of politically motivated violence.
When I was growing up in the 1960s, I lived through the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
These events defined my generation and felt like tragedies we thought our children would never face.
Today our children are seeing multiple acts of political violence play out within a single year.
We can’t allow these tragedies to be normalized or dehumanized.
As someone who has served nearly two decades in Congress, I never imagined we would be here again.
This week, we commemorated the anniversary of one of the greatest acts of violence in American history: Sept. 11, 2001.
That morning, I was at the Sarasota–Bradenton Airport waiting to meet with President George W. Bush after his visit to a local elementary school. Instead of a meeting, I watched as he rushed aboard Air Force One to lead our country in its darkest hour.
In the days that followed, Americans grieved, but we also came together. We were united not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. That unity, that resolve, is what we need again today.
Political violence is not a partisan issue; it is an American issue.
We must stand together to say with one voice that political violence has no place in America.
Words matter.
The temperature of our rhetoric matters, and it starts with those of us who are public servants.
I’m calling on my colleagues, our community leaders and the press to help lower the temperature.
As a grandfather of 10 grandchildren ages 10 and under, I think every day about the America they will grow up in.
If we stand together and proclaim that free speech will prevail over violence, we can make sure they and all of America’s children inherit a future worthy of them.
I pray that Charlie’s legacy of engaging in politics the right way – face-to-face, even with those he disagreed with – continues to inspire future leaders.
To the Kirk family and to every family mourning a loved one taken by political violence, know that you are in our prayers.
What unites us as Americans is far greater than what divides us.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) is the vice chairman of the U.S House Ways and Means Committee and the chair of the U.S. House Health Subcommittee. Prior to serving in Congress, Buchanan was in business for more than 30 years and chaired both the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chamber of Commerce.
