In moments like this, we are reminded that words have power — power to heal or to harm, to build or to destroy. Recently, we witnessed that power used in the worst way, when a candidate for Attorney General in Virginia, Jay Jones, was revealed to have made violent and hateful statements — even wishing harm upon a political rival and his children.
Let’s be clear: this kind of rhetoric has no place in our politics, no place in public service, and no place in a civilized society. When someone seeking to lead and enforce the law uses language of violence, it tears at the very fabric of democracy — a system built not on threats or hatred, but on respect and reason.
Public office is not about vengeance or anger. It is about stewardship — about protecting the people, not dividing them. Those who serve must be held to the highest moral and ethical standards, because their words set the tone for the entire community.
We can disagree passionately about policy — that is healthy and necessary. But disagreement should never descend into dehumanization. Once we start treating opponents as enemies to be destroyed rather than fellow citizens to be heard, we all lose.
So let us stand together, across party lines, across beliefs and backgrounds, and say: Violence — in words or in deeds — is never acceptable. We must demand better from those who lead, and we must also model it ourselves.
If we want our children to grow up believing in peace, we must speak with peace. If we want them to believe in justice, we must act with justice. And if we want them to believe in unity, we must show what unity looks like — even when it is hard.
This moment is a test — not just of one man’s character, but of ours. Will we allow rage and rhetoric to rule us? Or will we rise above it, choosing civility over cruelty and unity over division?
Let us choose the higher path. Let us choose compassion over contempt. Let us remember that the strength of a nation is not measured in the volume of its anger, but in the courage of its kindness.
Because in the end, we are all on the same team — the human team. And when we lift one another up instead of tearing each other down, that is when we are at our best.