Gov. Shapiro calls for end to political violence

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett also participated in the Eradicate Hate Global Summit.

By TOM FONTAINE
TribLive

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and former Gov. Tom Corbett, politicians from different political parties and parts of the state, appeared together at Tuesday’s Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Downtown Pittsburgh to condemn political violence less than a week after the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

“Political violence is particularly dangerous. Not only does it seek to injure, maim or kill — it seeks to intimidate and terrorize and silence,” Shapiro, a Democrat from Montgomery County, said in his keynote address.

In an era when Democrats and Republicans see eye to eye on little to nothing, Shapiro and Corbett attempted to show a unified front in condemning what many view as an increasingly hostile political landscape.

Shapiro survived a violent attack in April. He recounted how he and his family had been sleeping inside the governor’s residence on the first night of Passover in April when state troopers awoke them and helped them get to safety. Authorities said an intruder had firebombed the home and then searched for Shapiro while wielding a hammer he intended to use on the governor.

No one was injured in the attack, but the fire caused significant damage to the governor’s residence. A 38-yearold suspect is awaiting trial on charges including attempted homicide, terrorism and arson.

Corbett, a Republican from Shaler, was among the first people to reach out to Shapiro in the aftermath of the attack to offer his support, as did other surviving former governors from both parties and the families of the late Govs. Bob Casey Sr. and Dick Thornburgh.

While Shapiro said emotional scars remain from the attack, he added, “I’m here today to tell that I will not be deterred in my work on behalf of the good people of Pennsylvania, and I sure as heck will not be silenced.”

In his remarks, Shapiro said people across the political spectrum need to come together to reject political violence and violent rhetoric.

“This type of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it or who pulls the trigger, who throws the Molotov cocktail or who wields the weapon. It doesn’t matter if it’s coming from one side or from the other, directed at one party or another, one person or another. It is all wrong, and it makes us all less safe,” Shapiro said.

“During moments like these, we must be clear and unequivocal and call out all forms of political violence as wrong. That shouldn’t be hard to do,” the governor added. “Unfortunately, some — from the dark corners of the internet all the way to the Oval Office — want to cherry pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn. Doing so only further divides us and makes it harder to heal.”

Among steps he said his administration has taken to address hateful rhetoric online, Shapiro said the administration has worked to create a guide on digital literacy for parents and children he hopes can help them “discern fact from fiction online.”

Before taking the stage to introduce Shapiro, Corbett said the internet and social media, in particular, have served to exacerbate the divisions in our society.

“The issue is there’s no filter to the hate anymore,” said Corbett, who served as governor from 2011 to 2015. “People who are online have no limitations (as to what they can and cannot say). The First Amendment really doesn’t affect them at all. It’s unbridled. That’s the part that’s accelerating now.”

“It’s going to be very difficult to get the genie back in the bottle unless we come together,” Corbett added.

Shapiro said politicians need to stand together in condemning political violence and the inflammatory rhetoric that has resulted from it.

“We should be able to stand together in universal condemnation,” the governor told reporters following his keynote address.

“It should not be hard to stand up to some people who are celebrating the killing of Charlie Kirk and say that’s wrong. And it should not be hard to stand up to people who are calling for vengeance and revenge in the wake of the killing of Charlie Kirk. That’s not OK either,” he added. “I don’t care if it’s coming from the left or the right. We need to be universal in our condemnation.”