Charlie Kirk’s murder is another reminder of the urgent and tragic need to address the gun violence epidemic and the rise of political violence in our country. These problems are not new. They existed this summer when Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman, her husband, and their dog were shot dead in their home, and this week when two Colorado students were victims of this year’s 47th school shooting. They existed when a mob stormed the Capitol and when political figures faced attempts on their lives—Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Steve Scalise, Paul Pelosi, John Hoffman and his wife, and more. Our position is unwavering: political violence is never acceptable, we must call out hateful rhetoric that fuels division in politics, and Congress must pass gun violence prevention legislation.
