These are perilous times in America. There’s no way to sugarcoat it — our polarization is deep and getting deeper. The murder of Charlie Kirk marked a turning point. Many on the right are through trying to persuade the left; they think “that’s what Charlie tried to do, look what happened.”

Still, we should remember that we have been through much worse. Thomas Paine described the American Revolution as “the times that try men’s souls.” Slavery tore this country apart, not just physically during the four bloody years of the Civil War , but by eroding the bonds of trust and mutual friendship Americans should have for each other. And I lived through the ’60s and the ’70s when riots, bombings, and assassinations were an all-too-frequent occurrence.

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