Violence has no place in American politics

The details read like the script of a crime thriller movie or something you would expect to hear about in some war zone or failed nation where violence has replaced the rule of law.

Yvette Thomson was shot eight times early Saturday morning as she used her body as a shield to try to protect her daughter from a gunman attempting to commit a politically motivated assassination of her and her husband Minnesota state Senator John Hoffman who was shot nine times. They are in the hospital recovering from the attack Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman was not so lucky. Hortman and her husband Marc were gunned down in their home. The gunman even shot their family dog, Gilbert, who had to be euthanized due to his injuries.

The attacks Saturday morning, by a gunman who was dressed as a police officer, came to the homes of Minnesota legislators. According to law enforcement, he announced himself as being with the police and ordered them to open their doors. That is when the shooting and killing began.

According to law enforcement, a target list recovered from the suspect's car outside the Hortmans' home had a list of dozens of Minnesota Democrats, including Hoffman, Hortman, Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.

After a massive manhunt, the suspect was apprehended on Sunday evening near his home and faces multiple state and federal charges.

'His crimes are the stuff of nightmares,' said acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joseph Thompson, describing the assassin’s actions.

While horrific enough as isolated crimes of a deranged madman, the fact that the attacks were politically motivated is truly terrifying and shows the depth of the fractures in American society.

Politics, by their very nature, divide people. Most of the time this level of political divide exists on the level of which brand of car you choose to drive, or cola you prefer to drink. Over the past decade, politics based on seeking a common ground for the good of community, state or country has been replaced with people adopting politics as their personalities and any disagreements are seen as attacks. From the great American melting pot of ideas and beliefs, we have allowed ourselves to be broken into fractured camps of “us” versus “them.” In this race to the bottom, dehumanized violence such as last weekend’s assassinations in Minnesota are the inevitable results.

Beyond the politics, the attacker masquerading as a police officer to commit his heinous crimes is also disturbing as it degrades trust in a uniform and badge and puts at risk real police officers who are trying to do their jobs and keep their communities safe.

This act of extreme political violence needs to be a wakeup call for all people, and especially for those in political or community leadership. In the wake of these tragic events, people must pause in their rhetoric and their passions and step back from the brink. We must step back and recognize that there is much more that unites Americans than divides us. The fact that people disagree or act, look or believe differently than we as individuals do, is not a weakness or cancer to be carved away, but rather a strength of an American people bound in brotherhood and looking ever forward to a brighter tomorrow.

Political violence like that committed last weekend in Minnesota has no place in American politics.

The Central Wisconsin Publications Editorial Board consists of publisher Kris O’Leary and editor Brian Wilson.