After Alexandria shooting, a reminder that we can still come together

We join Americans across the nation who are praying for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, U.S. Capitol Police officers David Bailey and Crystal Griner, congressional staffer Zach Barth, and lobbyist Matt Mika.

What a miracle it would be if there were no fatalities in the senseless attack Wednesday morning in Alexandria, Va., that targeted Republican members of Congress as they were practicing for an annual congressional baseball game against Democrats.

But as we wait for the final toll of the violence to land, let’s all heed the wise words of House Speaker Paul Ryan, who described a photo of Democrats gathering in prayer for the victims as one image from Wednesday the House members should keep.

“We feel so deeply about the things that we fight for and the things we believe in … but we do not shed our humanity when we enter this chamber,” Ryan said. “These were our brothers and sisters in the line of fire. These were our brothers and sisters who ran into danger and saved countless lives. So before this House returns to its business, let’s just slow down and reflect to think about how we’re all being tested right now. Because we are being tested right now.”

Violence and radicalization know no political party, religion, race or gender. Let’s not point fingers in times like these and instead unite in opposition to evil and intolerance in support of the democratic process.

Our wonderful system of government has subjugated violence, and for all the messy flaws of democracy, our diplomatic and peaceful governance is one absolute good that none can question, regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum. The suspected shooter could not have been more wrong in his angry Facebook posts. No single president, or politician, or party will destroy democracy, and certainly even in trying times historic and present, no one has come close.

Our system of governance, and its worthy servants like Scalise and the other victims of Wednesday’s shooting, will endure not only political turmoil but also the misguided violence that sprouts up along the fringes of our government, often driven more by mental illness than organized political philosophy.

We cannot live in fear of those outliers. As of Wednesday afternoon, Republicans and Democrats still planned to hold their annual baseball game, and they should be commended for their bravery.

Now is not a time to shrink from fear or to shy away from public meetings and town halls, but to embrace a necessary part of our representative democracy, meeting with constituents and voters and the public. We made a similar plea after U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others were shot outside of a grocery store in Arizona during a constituent outreach meeting in 2011.

It’s particularly heartbreaking that the shooter — whose motives are still unknown but seemed unhealthily preoccupied and angry with Republicans — targeted an event that is supposed to be a fun competition with a nod to bipartisanship, an event that raises funds for charity and forces members of Congress to get some exercise.

According to The Washington Post, the storied congressional baseball games are tied at 39-391. It’s nice knowing that as intense as our politics can be, regardless who wins this year’s game, it will be a win for victims of the shooting and to our democracy.