Last week a gunman killed a young Jewish couple in DC. Elias Rodriguez is accused of committing this heinous crime. Almost immediately the act was praised by a handful of anti-Semitic haters on social media. Just last year UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the back and killed on his way to a meeting in NY. Luigi Mangioni is accused of the cold blooded murder. Supporters of Mangioni have donated to a defense fund to the tune of $1,000,000 dollars.

Nicolas Creel, an ethics professor has this to say about this disturbing trend:

"That people who commit murder are receiving any meaningful amount of public support, seemingly because the victims are seen by the murder’s supporters as belonging to the political opposition, is an exceptionally bad sign for our society, Democracy requires people to be committed to certain values, such as the peaceable resolution of our differences. Without that, we’re at risk for a far wider breakdown in the rule of law, the kind where mass atrocities can easily arise."

I agree. There is no place for political violence in our society. Whether it be an attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence or celebration of an assassination attempt, democracy itself is threatened.

It needs to stop.