Americans have moved from being in "a representative democracy that believes in free speech and free debate" to "not understanding that we live in a society," Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., told Newsmax on Friday.
He said living with other people demands respect for others.
"We live with other people, people who disagree with us. If we're really going to have a civil society in a representative democracy, then in any given situation you got to figure out, OK, what do you and the groups that you support want? That's certainly part of it," Smith said on "American Agenda."
"But to get along you have to figure out what do the other people want and what's in the best interest of society."
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's killing has reignited debate over the role caustic language plays in American political violence. Kirk, 31, was assassinated Wednesday at a Utah Valley University event.
Kirk frequently held debates on college campuses, often under his "Prove Me Wrong" theme.
Smith said it's important to respect others' ideas.
"I've been interested in politics and having these arguments, gosh, since I was a teenager. And when I really strongly believe something and then I run into someone who says, 'Oh, that's ridiculous, I don't agree with that,'" he said.
"Initially, that's kind of jarring. I haven't seen it before, and it does sort of emotionally cause you a problem. But the solution to that is not to say, I want to create a society where I never feel that; the solution to that is to understand and grow in your thinking on how to process it.
"And that's part of life. There's a whole bunch of different people with a whole bunch of different ideas, you know?"
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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