Gabby Giffords and Jeff Flake at USAT:

Kirk’s supporters are angry – we all are – but in this perilous moment, elected officials wield outsized influence on whether the justified anger at the assassin transforms into malice toward fellow Americans. At a moment when everyone seems on edge, irresponsible rhetoric or behavior from people in power has the potential to lead us down an even darker path.

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Decades from now, Americans will know how this generation of leaders responded in these trying moments. As former elected officials, we have learned that political careers are brief but that legacies last forever. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s horrific assassination, and following other concerning episodes of political violence in recent years, we hope politicians and commentators on all sides take a moment, put down the phone or push their chairs back from their computers, and seriously consider how all of our actions in the coming days and weeks will shape this country for future generations.