Sponsored by:
Senator JON M. BRAMNICK
District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Encourages residents of NJ to treat one another civilly amid period of increased political violence.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution encouraging residents of New Jersey to treat one another civilly amid a period of increased political violence in this country.
Whereas, The root word of civility means to be a member of a household; and
Whereas, There are rules of civility that allow us to live peacefully within society, just as there are certain rules that allow family members to live peacefully within a household; and
Whereas, The Greek Philosopher Aristotle saw civility as a form of friendship, which he understood as a mutual feeling of goodwill, and believed that humans are capable of promoting another persons interest without regard for their own; and
Whereas, Aristotles beliefs have recently been challenged, as the last two decades have seen an increase in hostile political rhetoric and political violence around the country; and
Whereas, On January 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords was injured when a man shot her and 18 others, six of whom died, at a constituent meeting outside of a supermarket; and
Whereas, On June 14, 2017, U.S. Representative Steve Scalise was injured when a man shot him and four others at a GOP team practice for a Congressional baseball game; and
Whereas, On October 28, 2022, Paul Pelosi, husband of the then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was injured in an early morning attack in their San Francisco home by a man wielding a hammer; and
Whereas, On July 13, 2024, former President Donald Trump was injured when a man shot him and three others, one of whom died, at a Pennsylvania campaign rally; and
Whereas, According to data provided by the United States Capitol Police, a law enforcement agency charged with protecting members of Congress, cases related to concerning statements and threats jumped from 3,939 in 2017 to 9,625 in 2021; and
Whereas, New Jersey is not immune from the effects of national political violence; and
Whereas, New Jersey is the only State in which all counties are classified as metropolitan areas, with the dense population of this State making it easy to get frustrated, especially while waiting in line or sitting in traffic; and
Whereas, In an effort to enrich the lives of residents of this State, impolite and antagonistic behavior should be curtailed without the creation of new laws; and
Whereas, Increased courtesy and respect amongst residents will reduce stress and make daily tasks more enjoyable; and
Whereas, With just the slightest effort of each individual, a chain of goodwill would ripple throughout the stores, streets, and neighborhoods of New Jersey; and
Whereas, One of the strengths of our system of government is the ability to debate and disagree while allowing peace to prevail and that is a trait that New Jerseyans and Americans cannot forget; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House hereby condemns the attempted assassination of former President Trump and all other political violence and urges elected leaders in New Jersey and around the country to set examples for their constituents by treating political opponents with civility and respect.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This Senate resolution encourages residents of New Jersey to treat one another civilly amid a period of increased political violence in this country.
There are rules of civility that allow us to live peacefully within society. The Greek Philosopher Aristotle saw civility as a form of friendship and believed that humans are capable of promoting another persons interest without regard for their own. The belief in the civility of society has been challenged over recent years as political violence has increased significantly in the United States.
Throughout the last two decades, multiple political figures have been attacked, with some attacks causing the injuries and deaths of other people. Data provided by the United States Capitol Police, a law enforcement agency charged with protecting members of Congress, indicates that cases related to concerning statements and threats have jumped from 3,939 in 2017 to 9,625 in 2021.
New Jersey is not immune from the effects of national political violence. New Jersey is the only State in which all counties are classified as metropolitan areas, creating an abnormally dense population and making it easy to get frustrated, especially while waiting in line or sitting in traffic. In an effort to enrich the lives of residents in this State, impolite and antagonistic behavior should be curtailed without the implementation of new laws. Increased courtesy and respect amongst residents would reduce stress and result in a chain of goodwill that would ripple throughout the stores, streets, and neighborhoods of New Jersey.
One of the strengths of our system of government is the ability to debate and disagree while allowing peace to prevail. This must be remembered, along with a charge of civility towards one another.
The resolution condemns the attempted assassination of former President Trump and any other political violence, and urges elected leaders in New Jersey and around the country to set examples by treating political opponents with civility and respect.