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We must do better to ‘lower the temperature’ of our political discourse

We all saw what happened Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Violent protesters broke into the building, ransacked the place, forced entry into both the House and Senate chambers and the offices of several lawmakers, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Some in the mob were heard demanding to know where the lawmakers had gone with some seeking Vice President Mike Pence specifically.

Regardless of whether you love President Donald Trump, detest him or are indifferent toward him, regardless of whether you voted for him, against him or didn’t vote at all, what transpired at the place where our government is run is frightening and was for the longest time unimaginable in America.

As harrowing as it was, it could not have been completely surprising, especially if you’ve been paying attention to how politics in this country has devolved into a win-at-all-costs bloodsport.

While most of us may have opinions about how things should be done and we usually feel that way strongly, most of us realize that looking to solve our differences violently is not the answer.

There have been those who have engaged in destructive acts, but not just Wednesday at the Capitol. It has happened far too many times in far too many places and has been perpetrated by groups running the gamut between liberal and conservative comprised of people of every ethnicity, gender and color and from all economic backgrounds.

How did we get here?

In our view, it is borne from the way those who seek office often portray every election, every issue, every debate as “us versus them” and as a matter of life and death.

The most important lesson we should learn from this is the way we engage in political discussion in this country is not healthy, nor is it sustainable — not if we want the republic to survive in its current form.

While admittedly you won’t often read us lauding Democrats, we wish to echo the sentiment of Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto who late Wednesday night on the floor of the Senate chamber pleaded with her colleagues to “lower the temperature” of their discussions.

She’s absolutely right.

Our elected officials need to stop putting their own political ambitions ahead of the good of our nation — the same one they hope to play a leadership role in.

The oath they take requires them to support and defend, not incite and destroy.

Divisive rhetoric from all corners must end. The people with whom we disagree are not our enemies, but our fellow American citizens with all the same rights we enjoy.

We ask everyone, regardless of beliefs to ask yourself if you’re happy about what unfolded Wednesday.

If the answer is no, then we implore you to join in the effort to restore respect to our political discourse that has been missing for far too long.

Unlike what you’ve falsely been told so many times by politicians, in this case, the future of our nation very much does depend on it.

May God bless America. Rarely has our nation needed his blessing more.

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