Politics

Tim Scott Knocks Click-Driven Media, Warns Against ‘Dangerous’ Polarization After Attempted GOP Assassinations [VIDEO]

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South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott knocked click-driven journalism and sounded the alarm about the current state of political polarization after the attempted assassinations of GOP lawmakers in Alexandria, Virginia on Wednesday.

A left-wing Bernie Sanders supporter who believed President Trump is a “traitor” opened fire on Republican lawmakers and staffers as they prepared for Thursday’s annual charity congressional baseball game. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was hit in the hip and was still in critical condition Wednesday evening. (RELATED: Shooting At GOP Baseball Practice Latest In Pattern Of Violence Against Republicans)

Scott took to the Senate floor to implore the nation to come together and unite, instead of “profiting from the division in this nation” and “looking for ways to get more clicks on our pages.”

After praising the heroism of the Capitol police officers who killed the gunman, Scott declared, “We are no longer in the midst of a crisis — black Americans and white Americans, or liberal Americans or conservative Americans, Republicans or Democrats. We aren’t even swayed by the current environment of sensationalism. No, sir. We are simply Americans blessed by God to be a part of the American family.”

The senator then warned against the dangers of division.

“The polarization that pulls on the fabric of this great country is very, very dangerous. Too often, we find ourselves splitting into smaller factions. We stop listening to others’ points of view. We react immediately with hostility, doubting the very intentions of folks who do not agree with your perspective,” he said. “This, Mr. President, is very dangerous for our future. We’ve seem to have forgotten how to disagree without being disagreeable and today’s shooting is one of the manifestations of that.”

Scott then to compare Wednesday’s shooting to the Charleston massacre, where Dylann Roof opened fire on the members of a black church, killing nine people, urging Americans to follow the example of the churchgoers.

“You know, this weekend marks two years since the massacre at Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina, my home, where a racist who wanted to start a race war decided he could take advantage of the cracks in our foundation, that he could drive to Charleston, South Carolina and take advantage of those cracks. But the families of the victims, understanding and appreciating the notion of Matthew 5:44, loving those who seem to be your enemies. They did not allow their grief and their anger to overpower their senses,” Scott said.

“They believed in the power of love. They believed that love is more powerful than hate. They believed in each other and because of their conviction, my city and my state stood together — black South Carolinians and white South Carolinians and said to the world not in my place not in my city not in my state and not in my houses of worship. We stood together. We did not allow this spirit of oppression and division to separate us. We allowed the power of love to unite us. And so Mr. President, whether it is race, or politics, whether it’s gender or any other number of ways that we could be divided, we have to, I implore all of us, to remember that we are first, Americans,” he continued.

“We must work together, ensuring opportunity for all, not profiting from the division in this nation, not looking for ways to get more clicks on our pages. And why is that? Well, Mr. President, it’s simple. Because, America is stronger than this. America is better than this. We are the American family and we must let love be the light to show us the way.”

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