Mr. President: Words Matter

This weekend we were shocked by several murders that took place at Bondi Beach, Australia, Brown University, and at a home in Brentwood, California.

This post is based on a recent public statement by the President of the United States. The statement followed the violent deaths of two private citizens, Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Rather than focusing on grief or facts, the statement used ridicule and political blame in response to the tragedy.

Instead, the President of the United States used their deaths to insult them. He ridiculed their political views and suggested that their dissent somehow explains the violence done to them.

What are young people learning when the nation’s highest office treats a violent death as an opportunity for mockery? What lesson is absorbed when disagreement is framed as a “disease”? What message is sent when victims are blamed for the anger of others?

Words Matter

In a democracy, words matter—especially when they come from those entrusted with authority. We teach students that disagreement is not only allowed but essential. We teach that debate is not violence, and that ideas are not crimes. When leaders blur those lines, they undermine the very civic foundations schools work to build.

This is not about partisan politics. It is about the most basic moral standard we pass on to the next generation. No one “earns” violence by speaking their mind. Human dignity does not vanish at the moment of death.

Parents and teachers have a quiet but powerful role in moments like this. We can name what is wrong without modeling cruelty. We can say plainly: this is not how responsible adults speak about tragedy. We can show students that strength lies in restraint, empathy, and truth—not in humiliation.

If schools are meant to prepare young people for citizenship, then this is a teachable moment. This is not about one president or one platform. It is about the country we expect them to inherit. It’s about the leaders we hope they will become.

Reclaim Decency and Kindness

Democracy does not survive on laws alone. It survives on norms, language, and the refusal to let violence be explained away by hatred. We have to reclaim decency and kindness. That lesson is still ours to teach.