Reminding America: Veteran and Military Family Groups Condemn Political Violence

September 16, 2024

Re-publishing this letter from July 2024 to remind our fellow Americans where we stand:

As organizations serving and representing veterans and military families, we are united in condemning political violence of all kinds. Regardless of individual politics, an attack on any candidate for office, elected official, or election official is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the system of self-government that our men and women in uniform have served and sacrificed to protect. 

We, again, thank our brave brothers and sisters in law enforcement for their quick action.

Our fellow Americans often look to our community to provide leadership and to set politics aside, because of our commitment to our Constitution and culture of putting service to the nation first. Many of us have witnessed political violence abroad. We have a clear and universal message to our fellow Americans - violence has no place in American politics. A fundamental tenet of American democracy is to settle our differences at the ballot box. Our shared commitment to a peaceful democratic process is what distinguishes our system of government from others throughout history.  We all have a role to play in lowering the temperature in today’s political discourse and reminding ourselves – and our fellow countrymen and women – that we all have more in common than not. 

Our strength as a nation is our unity and patriotism transcends politics. Let’s all do our part to support the bedrock of our self-government and the greatest source of American pride: a peaceful political process with free and fair elections.  

Signed,

We the Veterans & Military Families

Veterans of Foreign Wars

AmVets

National Military Family Association

Student Veterans of America

+More Perfect Union

Elizabeth Dole Foundation

Blue Star Families

Mission Roll Call

Combined Arms

Military Veterans in Journalism

Military Family Advisory Network

Veterans for All Voters

National Security Leaders for America

The Chamberlain Network

Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network

Millions of Conversations

Vet Voice Foundation

VetsForward

Military Women's Collective

Count Every Hero:

Adm. Steve Abbot, (ret.), former Acting Homeland Security Advisor to the President 

Adm. Thad Allen (ret.), 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard 

Secretary Louis Caldera, 17th Secretary of the Army 

Gen. George Casey (ret.), 36th Chief of Staff of the Army 

Gen. Carlton Fulford (ret.), former Deputy Commander-in-Chief, European Command 

Secretary Debbie Lee James, 23rd Secretary of the Air Force 

Gen. John Jumper (ret.), 17th Chief of Staff of the Air Force 

Gen. Craig McKinley (ret.), 26th Chief of the National Guard Bureau 

Secretary Sean O’Keefe, 69th Secretary of the Navy