Kevin Kiley: “I rise at a moment when the Nation is still in shock over the sudden and senseless death, the brutal, barbaric murder…”

“I rise at a moment when the Nation is still in shock over the sudden and senseless death, the brutal, barbaric murder, and the cold-blooded assassination of a man beloved by millions. The depth of this tragedy is hard to process: a life cut short at age 31, a wife left without a husband and two young children without a father. The tributes that have poured in these last 24 hours from people from all walks of life and all corners of the political universe, the raw grief, and the remarkable eulogies bear testament to a life of generational importance, a life cruelly limited in years but immeasurable in impact. I offer my own heartfelt prayers along with hundreds of millions of others in this country and around the world. As we pray for Charlie and his loved ones, so too do I pray for our country. We are in a perilous moment. We don't yet have all the facts about yesterday's horrifying events, and the killer remains at large. What we do know is that political division has continued to deepen in this country and that political violence is on the rise. With a loss this profound, with evil this glaring, and with so much pain, suffering, anger, and fear, this cycle could escalate. A new, more severe round of accusations and recriminations, of demonization and dehumanization, could bring our politics and society to a darker place. That isn't where things have to go. This can also be an occasion for soul-searching as a country.”