Unity in America

24 years ago to the date the twin towers fell in a tragic and deeply horrific show of hatred. I was only 3 years old at the time, and have no memory of it, but the story has been told to me over and over again. Almost everyone older than me can tell you exactly where they were the moment they heard the news. It’s been repeated time and again how this act of violence united the country, and how at that moment, there were no democrats or republicans, only Americans. In the face of something so tragic, the American people stood together in unity.

Yesterday, Charlie Kirk, a republican podcaster, author, and political activist, was shot at an appearance at Utah Valley University. Pretty much everyone I know has made their opinion about this very clear. This act of violence has done nothing but drive further division between the American people. People have said that the Democratic Party is a terrorist organization. That every single democrat deserves to be prosecuted. People have called for civil war. This has to stop. For the sake of the entire country, We the People of the United States need to put an end to this rhetoric right now.

In an article released by NPR, journalists Peter Nicholas, Matt Dixon, Natasha Korecki, and Jonathan Allen suggest that this could be the opportunity for President Donald Trump to unite the American people and begin to heal the nation. Instead, he continues to encourage further hatred. When presented with an opportunity to bring the citizens together, he chooses to encourage further division. It is devastating for me to see how many people are willing and ready to believe the lies about people like me. How many Americans are so eager to listen to and agree with this rhetoric of hatred towards family members, neighbors, and fellow Americans.

The events that occurred yesterday were tragic. They were also, however, the actions of one man or woman, not the entire Democratic Party. How will we sit here and put the blame on the Democratic Party as a whole, when not 3 months ago, two democratic senators were shot and no suggestion has been made that the Republican Party is a terrorist organization? Nor were any of these claims made when a registered republican attempted to assassinate Donald Trump himself, while he was running for office again back in 2024. Six days into 2021, more than 1,500 people were involved in planning and carrying out an attempted coup as a response to the election results. Even then, the Republican Party was not accused of being a terrorist organization, because generally it is understood, not just by democrats and not just by republicans but by human beings as a whole, that the actions of one or two or even 1,500 people does not reflect the beliefs, morals, and intentions of the entire group. Even 1,500 people is a small minority in the face of the Republican Party as a whole.

I am severely disappointed in the American people today. As someone who was too young to remember the events of September 11, 2001, but who grew up in a country that grew more divided by the day, I have dreamed of knowing what a country brought together in unity would look like. Then, in the face of tragedy, I was only shown more hatred and anger.