The attempted assassination of former President Trump shocked me, as it did many in the nation.

But what has perhaps impacted me more was watching the nearly immediate pivot of talking heads and keyboard warriors into speculations on political strategy, conspiracy, blame, threats of vengeance, and regret that the shooting was unsuccessful.

They never even took a breath.

It’s ugly.

Your leadership is needed now

We need national leaders who will call for calm and unity. We have an opportunity to shift the tone of the national debate. Hopefully, some will step up.

But we can’t pin our hopes on what some other leader will do. We need to be the leader who responds differently in whatever sphere of influence we have. We need to manage our thoughts and reactions. We need to model a better way. If nothing else, choose not to feed the fire.

You don’t have to be a national leader to have an impact. You don’t need to have a ‘platform’ or be an influencer to be a calm voice. To point to our common interests. To avoid being manipulated by the many different forces who profit from the fear, anger, and frustration of others.

Change the narrative

We can’t control what others say. But we can control what we say and influence the tenor of our conversations. Some thoughts that may help:

• Turn off the noise. Avoid the comments sections. Don’t mindlessly scroll the news sites or social media feeds. They are emotional poison.
• Overlook the unimportant. Many people are saying many things. Most of them will have no bearing on resolving the issues or how anything will play out. But they can wind people up. Overlook them. Move past them.
• Don’t add to the noise. Ask questions and listen. Some people around you need someone to talk to. Whether you agree with them or not – listen to them. Ask questions. No one needs more coffee shop forensics or political apologetics with your unconverted neighbor.
• Leave accountability to the authorities. If you’ve ever seen mob justice, it’s terrifying. It’s irrational, disproportionate, and almost always inaccurate.
• Offer dignity, respect, and hope. You don’t have to agree with or like someone to treat them decently. Many of the people you meet have immersed themselves in ‘negative noise’– be the positive voice they encounter today.

What is one, constructive, hopeful choice you can make today?

Take good care,

Christian