DENVER — The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk comes during a deeply divided time in American politics.
The Scripps News Group took a closer look at what’s driving the divide and found out how some political leaders are working to bridge the divide.
- Watch our initial report of Kirk's death below
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis described what happened to Kirk as an "anti-American crime."
“I'm not somebody who agrees with a lot of what Charlie Kirk has to say,” Polis said. “He engages young people. He talks to people. There's people from the left, people from the right. This is what, at a very grassroots level, democracy means, and to have that shattered by this violent attack really strikes at a cord of that very American spirit that we're so proud of.”
MSU Denver professor Robert Preuhs, who chairs the political science department, said simple disagreements about political issues have devolved into something more dangerous, where political rhetoric is conveyed as "us versus them."
“One where you feel an existential threat,” Preuhs told Denver7. “The other side doesn't just disagree with you on policy, but the other side threatens your very cultural, economic, and social existence.”
Some of the recent examples of politically motivated violence include a gunman shooting Minnesota Democratic lawmakers at their homes in June. One of the lawmakers, Melissa Hortman, was killed, along with her husband and their family dog.
In April, police arrested a man for attempting to assassinate the Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania by setting the governor’s mansion on fire while he and his family slept inside. Neither the governor nor his family was injured.
Last year, a gunman attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump as he spoke at an outdoor rally. A bullet struck Trump’s ear. A man in the audience was killed, and two others were critically injured.
Denver
CO flags to half-staff through Sunday to honor 9/11, death of Charlie Kirk
There have also been incidents in Colorado. In June, more than a dozen people were injured when they were attacked on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder as they called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. An 82-year-old woman later died.
“It's unacceptable in our system to stifle political speech by anybody being scared to speak out because of acts of physical violence,” Polis said.
Polis is among a group of political leaders who have been trying to dial down the temperature. He teamed up with Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox to promote an initiative from the National Governors' Association called Disagree Better.
Several governors from different parties, including Polis and Cox, participated in videos and held several events across the country promoting the initiative.
Polis said the responsibility goes beyond governors.
“We have to send the message from our political leaders, our faith leaders, our civic leaders, that violence is never the answer,” he said. “We need to show love and respect for one another. We're better because we disagree.”
