In The Wake of Tragedy: Jonathan Williams on The Hugh Hewitt Show
"We must address our political or policy differences in a civil, constructive way that Charlie Kirk always went out and did."
In his latest appearance on The Hugh Hewitt Show, ALEC President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams emphasized a renewed commitment to civil discourse and working together to bring about policies that benefit all Americans. The conversation started with Hewitt and Williams discussing the mood in the country and the legacy left behind by Charlie Kirk.
“It was a dark week for America,” said Williams. “This is a brutal reminder that there’s real good and real evil in this world and in the United States, and that Americans need to take it more seriously to address our political or policy differences in a civil, constructive way that Charlie Kirk always went out and did.”
The call for civility comes at a time of rising concern among state legislators over personal safety. Hewitt brought up the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker and asked if there was any discussion among state legislators about their concerns regarding public life.
“It’s something that hits really close to home to so many of our ALEC members that maybe haven’t been visited at their doorstep, thank God,” replied Williams. “I do think there’s going to be a revisiting of certainly, security measures around state capitals.”
Williams also pointed to ALEC’s focus on mental health.
“We have a mental health working group where we convene at Indianapolis this summer, and annual meetings throughout the last number of years to tackle that issue,” Williams said. “Frankly, it’s been one that maybe on the right they haven’t spent enough attention talking about. We at ALEC have tried to raise the awareness on that issue, because that’s a huge factor as part of this.”