We Are Crossing Dangerous Lines
It has been a tumultuous and emotional week in America and Colorado. People everywhere are asking why these tragic events are happening in our society. We must turn down the angry and violent rhetoric. We must step back from the precipice of hatred and violence.
At the beginning of the week, there was the murder of an innocent woman in Charlotte, NC. Then on Wednesday, September 10th at about the same time of day, Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a college campus in Utah and there was a school shooting by another student in Evergreen, Colorado.
Thursday, September 11th, was the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers in NYC, the Pentagon, and the final plane that went down in Pennsylvania when passengers onboard fought back against the terrorists. It was also the 13th anniversary of the Benghazi attacks.
If you are grieving, you are not alone. Parents, families, friends, and communities are grieving and some are in shock. People are angry and frustrated. We must not give into anger and hatred. My heart breaks for the parents of the wounded kids. I have kids too. Every parent wants their kids to go to school to learn and have fun, and most importantly, to come home each evening.
My college-aged aide told me it feels like she has lost a friend, even though she never met Charlie Kirk. That's the impact he had. Charlie was a voice for an entire generation, especially young conservatives. Charlie energized young people to get involved and to stand for family, free speech, hard work, and honesty. I am praying for his wife Erika, and their two young children.
I served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I have seen what happens when ideology turns to hatred and violence. The line between chaos and stability is thinner than we realize, and we must stop feeding the cycle. As a husband, father, combat veteran, and Colorado State Representative, I believe that we must pursue peaceful dialogue and listen to each other. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we must be willing to listen and walk away in peace. We must tone down the anger and rhetoric or the cycle of violence and heartbreak will continue.
My office is here to listen, serve, and keep you informed as we work to make Colorado stronger.