We’re heartsick and furious. Violence is swallowing our civic life—from the fatal shooting at Utah Valley University today, the violence at Evergreen High School in Colorado, the assassinations and attempted assassinations of public servants in recent months, and just two weeks ago in Minneapolis, when a gunman fired through church windows, killing two children as they prayed and injuring many more.
This is not “politics as usual.” It’s a direct attack on democratic participation, community safety, and basic decency. We condemn it—full stop. Year after year we watch this ritual of lockdowns, reunification centers, and grief counselors repeat; Education Week has documented dozens of school shootings with injuries or deaths every year—including 39 in 2024. This is not inevitable. It’s a policy failure we refuse to accept.
In the last few years, we’ve watched political violence spike: a retired Wisconsin judge murdered in his home; a federal judge targeted at her doorstep, her son killed and her husband gravely wounded; and in June, a Democratic Minnesota legislative leader and her husband assassinated, with another senator and his wife shot and wounded. These are not isolated headlines; they are connective tissue in an escalating pattern that must be broken.
More so, these threats have spread beyond elected officials. Judges, election workers, journalists, campus hosts, and everyday people showing up to town halls, rallies, and debates are being harassed, doxxed, “swatted,” and targeted. That climate is incompatible with a healthy, functioning democracy. We will not normalize it.
Our position is simple:
- Disagreement is democracy; intimidation is not.
- Speech is protected; violence is not.
- Accountability in law and policy is non-negotiable.
What we’re calling for—now:
- Safety for public service: Fully fund and enforce judicial and public-official security protections; expand similar support to election workers and local offices. (States have strengthened these laws after high-profile attacks—Georgia should keep pace or lead.)
- Common-sense gun policy: Universal background checks, extreme-risk protection orders, safe storage, and closing loopholes that turn political disputes into body counts.
- No more random violence: Leaders, media, and influencers must stop trafficking in dehumanizing rhetoric that paints opponents as enemies to be “taken out.”
- Anti-doxxing and anti-swatting enforcement: Modernize and enforce laws to protect judges, election workers, and private citizens from targeted harassment.
- Community resilience: De-escalation training for campaigns and volunteers; clear reporting channels for threats; rapid response support for targeted individuals and organizations.
We grieve with the families who’ve been shattered. We stand with every Georgian—regardless of party—who wants to argue policy without fearing for their life. Democracy requires courage, not Kevlar. We choose courage.
— The Fulton County Democratic Party