Laura Sibilia, an independent, represents the Windham-2 district (Dover, Jamaica, Somerset, Stratton, and Wardsboro) in the Vermont House of Representatives.
DOVER-Political violence is not protest, debate, or disagreement. It strikes at the heart of democracy - and the responsibility we all share to govern ourselves.
The recent assassinations of Charlie Kirk and Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband show how quickly violence is replacing dialogue in our national life. Vermonters cannot afford to think it will not touch us.
Too often, when people talk about those they disagree with, I hear "they" or "them." Used this way, these words are vague and dehumanizing. They create distance and make it easier to dismiss or demonize.
The same happens with phrases like "those people," "the left," "the right," "the politicians," "the media," or "the elites." All of these labels lump people together and let us avoid dealing with what individuals are actually saying or doing.
Being as specific as possible keeps us accountable to one another and makes government work through real dialogue, decisions, and action.
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There is an old teaching from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus: It is impossible for a person to learn what they think they already know. The lesson is simple. Once we decide we already know everything about "them," we stop listening. And once we stop listening, we stop learning.
In Vermont, that matters at every level, whether it is sitting across from a neighbor at Town Meeting, serving on a selectboard, or working side by side after a flood.
Real progress starts when we stay open to learning from one another. If we stop listening, we stop learning, and if we stop learning, we stop participating, and democracy cannot survive if we citizens don't participate.
So here are the questions I am trying to keep front and center, and I invite you to do the same: What does respect look like to you? How do you show it to someone you disagree with?
The answers matter. Because respect is the foundation of dialogue, and dialogue is the foundation of democracy.
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That commitment to respect is not abstract. It shows up in the way we govern and in whether people feel safe enough to step forward and serve.
At the Vermont State House, we now have more security, and this summer, legislators received safety guidance from our Sergeant at Arms. That is not normal. But it is where we are.
What worries me most is that fewer people might step forward. The government is not someone else's job - it is everyone's job. Vermont works best when citizens feel safe enough to serve.
And the need for participation goes far beyond the State House. Our communities are already under real stress: flooding and shortages in housing, health care, and work force. This is when showing up matters most. Neighbors serving on selectboards, volunteering on fire departments, or running for the Legislature all strengthen our state's ability to meet these challenges together.
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It is easy to get discouraged by national headlines. But Vermont's strength has always come from citizens willing to take responsibility locally, even when they disagree.
Town Meetings, a planning commission, or helping after a flood - these are not small things. This is the work of democracy. Every act of participation reminds us that the government is all of us, and it functions only when we each do our part.
National politics has grown more unstable, with threats, lies, and violence replacing dialogue. We are already seeing some of that emerge here in Vermont, with outside groups like Americans for Prosperity working to inflame division.
We need to be careful not to follow that path. We are losing balance, and we need to find it again.
The Legislature, the administration, and Vermonters in every community share responsibility for lowering the temperature and keeping space for disagreement.
This Voices Viewpoint was submitted to The Commons.
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