He was the worst of us but he’s bringing out the best in us. The cowardly gunman who rained rounds early Wednesday on GOP congressmen practicing for a charity baseball game against Democratic congressmen hit at some of our bedrocks: Flag Day, sports and, at least the pursuit of, bipartisanship. The gunman, fatally shot by Capitol Police, failed in whatever his warped mission was but inadvertently succeeded in reminding of us just how special our country is.
America came together Wednesday, with people from the rank and file to national leaders expressing support for the congressmen who were fired upon. Almost forgotten for a few hours Wednesday were the months of rancor and congressional hearings that have followed the presidential election. What was remembered was our shared condemnation of violence against our elected officials and our shared love of heroes, such as the Capitol Hill police who responded to the shooting at a ball field in Alexandria, Va., just outside D.C.
At least two of those officers were injured, neither seriously thank God, as they fired back with their pistols at the gunman. They brought him down. He apparently once volunteered for former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who, upon learning that, condemned the shooter.
Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority whip, was hit in the hip. He is expected to recover, President Trump said in a tweet expressing support for Scalise. A congressional aide was hit in a leg. A lobbyist was hit in the chest. Fortunately, few other injuries were reported as the gunman shot 50 rounds or more.
A security detail was at the practice because of Scalise’s high rank in Congress. If not, God only knows how heavy the casualties might have been for the congressmen armed only with baseball bats.
They looked out for each other in the wake of the shooting. We believe that had this been a bipartisan ball game, Democrats and Republicans would have looked out for each other as well. We’re better than we know we are, more united on the basics than we sometimes realize.
The bipartisan ballgame goes on Thursday night.
On Flag Day outside our nation’s capital, a small-minded man inadvertently reminded us of just how big we are when we stand together.
