Carleigh’s Statement on the White House Correspondents’ Association Shooting

I am horrified and outraged by the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night. My heart goes out to everyone who was impacted by this attack, and I extend my admiration and appreciation to the Secret Service and law enforcement officers who responded so effectively and courageously in the moment.

Our country is beset by an epidemic of political violence, fueled by easy access to firearms, extreme and divisive political rhetoric, and a media system that rewards and amplifies the worst and most inflammatory words and behavior from our politicians and pundits.

There are no bunkers with walls thick enough to protect our democracy from the damage that political violence has inflicted on all of us. We can’t arm enough guards or develop sophisticated enough security measures to stop this crisis. The solution depends on marshalling the political will to pass commonsense gun control measures while working to diminish the impact of platforms that incentivize the worst and most violent impulses in American politics.

We need politicians who are committed to bringing down the tone of our politics. Way down. We must dispense with anger, recrimination, and retribution and embrace a politics of compassion, of listening, and of care and concern for all, even those we disagree with.

That is the promise I make every day in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District. It is why I don’t use social media, and it is why I prioritize in-person dialogue rather than finger-pointing and the politics of blame.

There’s only one way out of this crisis: together.