Protect Our Public Servants
This letter to the editor, by Kerry Kittel, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on July 10, 2025.
I appreciate the forum for diverse viewpoints presented in this paper’s opinion section and enjoy reading comments on topics of great importance.
One example was Markus Fasel from Chippewa Falls, who raised the possibility that America may be turning into a police state, citing verbal attacks against judges and ignoring court rulings as evidence. Another recent example was Stacy Johnson from River Falls, who called Derrick Van Orden’s verbal attacks on Tim Walz “contributing to inflammatory rhetoric that leads to division and violence.” Markus and Stacy, like me, are concerned about the lack of common decency and civility in today’s political scene.
Most recently, MAGA Republicans rushed to politicize the tragic murder of Minnesota Law Maker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the shootings of state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Utah Senator Mike Lee, in response to the shootings, posted “this is what happens when Marxists don’t get their way.” Donald Trump, Jr. said “the guy who committed those atrocities this weekend was a Democrat.”
The truth is this: David Carlson, a lifelong friend of accused shooter Vance Boelter, said “He’s a Trump supporter, he likes Trump. He listened to Info Wars.”
Even days before the shootings, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson wanted California Gov. Gavin Newsom “tarred and feathered.” Calling for retaliation against political rivals, as MAGA leaders often do, normalizes and encourages political violence.
Threats against members of Congress have increased by more than 500% since 2016 and in two weeks earlier this year, 162 federal judges received threats (March 1 and April 14, per New York Times). The President constantly attacks federal judges in interviews and on social media. It seems only a matter of time until one of his more rabid followers, radicalized by hateful comments, strikes again.
According to the conservative-leaning “The Bulwark,” “No American public figure has done more to normalize political violence” than the current President.
Every American should reject statements or actions which put public servants at risk. Our elected officials, judges and the volunteers who run the most secure and fair elections in the world should be able to do those jobs free of threats to themselves or their families.