[Harrisburg, PA] – July 30, 2024

We are a politically diverse group of community members in south-central Pennsylvania who have been working across differences for the last 16 months to prevent targeted violence in our region. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assassination attempt on former President Trump that took place in our state on July 13. Violence has no place in our political process. 

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We call on our political leaders to stop using their platforms to promote division and hate. Hateful rhetoric dehumanizes those with opposing views and can make violence seem justified, or even necessary. We want to hear good ideas from you, our leaders, not be told to hate your opponents and each other. We ask you to stop sowing division and start proposing solutions.

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We call on local and national media to report facts completely and impartially. Bias and hyperbole, even when unintended, perpetuate “us versus them” narratives and erode our ability to address common issues effectively. Words matter. Seek to present events and issues in a way that encourages common understanding rather than pandering to a particular side. 

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We call on our fellow Pennsylvanians, and on all Americans, to take individual responsibility for healing and strengthening local communities. We have experienced first-hand the power of genuinely connecting with those we have been told to dislike or fear. If you want to know what your neighbors think, talk with them. If you don’t understand why, ask them. Ultimately, we all want our families and communities to live and thrive in peace, and we are much more likely to achieve that together than apart. 

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It can sometimes feel like the negativity in our national political discourse has too much momentum for ordinary citizens to make a difference, but our group’s work is evidence to the contrary. Together we have created “Talk Tents” to defuse local political tension, launched a Compassionate Listening program to reduce risks of suicide, helped connect veterans and social service organizations using constructive dialogue, and worked across political divides to explore solutions to housing needs. In the coming months, some of us will be working to prevent political violence around the upcoming election, a task that feels more urgent than ever since the attack in Butler County. And we actively support the local multidisciplinary Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management teams working in our counties to identify risks of violence and intervene with appropriate resources before violence can occur.

If you are in our area and want to do something, join us in Chambersburg on August 24 to learn how you can help. And no matter where you are, add your name below to pledge to reach out across the divides in your own community with anything from working toward a common goal, to sharing a meal, to simply having a conversation. National change begins at the local level, when we prioritize relationships and belonging and resist calls to treat each other as adversaries. With determination and commitment to each other and our common humanity, we can and will effect meaningful, positive change.