Opinion: Our backgrounds and beliefs may vary, but we’re all American

Scott Simon | September 13, 2025

A photo of Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, stands at his vigil, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah.

It is daunting to try to recall all the politically motivated attacks, and attempted attacks, in America over the last few years.

This year alone: someone set fire to the Pennsylvania’s governor’s residence while Governor Josh Shapiro and his family slept upstairs.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, Israeli embassy workers, were shot and killed in Washington, D.C.

82-year-old Karen Diamond died, and several others were burned, in a fire-bombing attack on a march in Boulder, Colorado.

A week after that, Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home. The Hortmans’ killer also shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who survived.

Last year, there were two attempts to assassinate Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. One bullet only narrowly missed its mark, grazing Trump’s ear. But a supporter sitting behind him was killed.

Early in 2022, someone tried to shoot Craig Greenberg, then running for mayor of Louisville. The bullets came close, but missed.

That summer, a man was arrested outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, with plans to assassinate the Justice.

In the fall, Paul Pelosi, husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer inside the couple’s San Francisco home.

We may have vivid memories of rioters storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, trying to prevent a joint session of Congress from certifying the votes of the Electoral College.

But do we remember that the same day, pipe bombs were found outside both the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters, where they could have exploded and killed people?

Or that in 2020, the FBI uncovered a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer? And in 2017, a man shot up a congressional baseball practice in northern Virginia, wounding four people including Congressman Steve Scalise?

I am sure there are more examples I haven’t mentioned. Different sides seem to keep their own lists of losses.

But I have deliberately not described the targets of these attacks with their party affiliation or ideology. Backgrounds and beliefs vary, but they all share humanity, and the right to live in this country, worship, vote and argue for their beliefs without fearing for their lives.

Transcript:

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

It is daunting to try to recall all the politically motivated attacks and attempted attacks in America over the last few years. This year alone, someone set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s residence while Governor Josh Shapiro and his family slept upstairs. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, Israeli embassy workers, were shot and killed in Washington, D.C. Eighty-two-year-old Karen Diamond died, and several others were burned, in a fire-bombing attack on a march in Boulder, Colorado. A week after that, Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their home. The Hortman’s killer also shot state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who survived.

Last year, there were two attempts to assassinate Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. One bullet only narrowly missed its mark, grazing Trump’s ear, but a supporter sitting behind him was killed. Early in 2022, someone tried to shoot Craig Greenberg, then running for mayor of Louisville. The bullets came close but missed. That summer, a man was arrested outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh with plans to assassinate the justice. In the fall, Paul Pelosi, husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer inside the couple’s San Francisco home.

We may have vivid memories of rioters storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, trying to prevent a joint session of Congress from certifying the votes of the Electoral College. But do we remember that the same day pipe bombs were found outside both the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters, where they could’ve exploded and killed people? Or that in 2020, the FBI uncovered a plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. And in 2017, a man shot up a congressional baseball practice in Northern Virginia, wounding four people, including Congressman Steve Scalise.

I’m sure there are more examples I haven’t mentioned. Different sides seem to keep their own lists of losses. But I have deliberately not described the targets of these attacks with their party affiliation or ideology. Background and beliefs vary, but they all share humanity and the right to live in this country, worship, vote and argue for their beliefs without fearing for their lives.

(SOUNDBITE OF ALEXANDRA STRELISKI’S “PLUS TOT”)