FAIR News: America at a Crossroads

Jul 19, 2024

Former President Donald Trump, with blood on his face, raises his fist to the crowd as he is surrounded by Secret Service agents at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Photographs by Doug Mills, Anna Moneymaker and Evan Vucci

Dear Friends of FAIR:

In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Trump, we at FAIR offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Corey Comperatore, who died while using his own body to shield his family from gunfire, and David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who were both critically injured. We mourn the loss of human life, and we are grateful that former President Trump is alive and well.

America finds itself at a pivotal moment in our nation's history. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the deep divisions and escalating tensions that threaten to destroy the fabric of our society. What happened—and what nearly happened—must be taken seriously.

This moment also affords us a unique opportunity. We can choose to come together and take a stand against the political violence and inflammatory rhetoric that are pulling us apart. We can choose to acknowledge the precipice upon which we stand and find our way back to solid ground.

As Americans, we are bound by our shared commitment to civil discourse and respectful disagreement. We understand and expect that we will not always agree on issues, ideas, or the people who lead us. We acknowledge that what unifies us on the most fundamental level is not a singular perspective or worldview, but our right to hold different perspectives and worldviews.

For far too long, biased reporting and political opportunism have undermined these foundational principles.They have fueled discord and division in our country by encouraging the reckless use of inflammatory labels to demonize and dehumanize the “other” side. The widely divergent reactions to the attempted murder of a former President are the clearest evidence yet of the deep emotional divide created by this pattern of dehumanization.

It’s likely that most of us have family members and friends who were horrified by this attack, but it’s just as likely that we know others who were devastated that the attempt was not successful. The responses to this tragedy—ranging from deeply respectful to frighteningly heartless—illustrate the selective concern for human life that has become pervasive in our country over the past several years. When the threat to life can be excused merely because we dislike a person or their politics, then we are fast approaching the point of no return as a society.

Going forward, collectively and individually, we must do better.

We must insist on holding members of our government accountable for their language and characterizations of their opponents, and the people who support their opponents. We must demand that our media prioritize truth and objectivity over sensationalism and bias.

But we must also acknowledge the obligation each of us has to heal the divide in our country. We must be willing to hold ourselves accountable for our own actions and ask ourselves if and how they might contribute to this division. We must use this moment as an opportunity to foster dialogue and understanding in our own communities around difficult and controversial issues—not with the expectation of agreement, but with the hope of promoting tolerance and mutual respect for our right to disagree on these issues.

As we enter one of the most politically charged election seasons in history, it is incumbent upon each of us to engage in conversations that challenge our worldview, and to seek to understand rather than convince those who don’t share our perspective. Let us use this tragedy not as a catalyst for further division, but as a clarion call for much needed unity. Let us remember that regardless of our differences, politically or otherwise, we must always embrace the common bond that unites us—not just as Americans, but as humans who are all worthy of dignity and respect.

Let us commit to being the change we wish to see in others and advocating for fairness, respect, and empathy in all our interactions. The health of our democratic republic—and of our collective conscience—depends on this.

With hope and determination,
The Team at FAIR

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