Our political discourse is not in a good place across the country. The closure of Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Jamestown office after what the congressman termed credible threats and calls for violence directed at Langworthy is proof of that.

It would be nice to see charges if the threats are credible, as Langworthy says they are. Given vandalism at Langworthy’s office in Jamestown and a suspicious package sent to Langworthy’s Clarence office, both of which took place within the past 12 months, we can understand the need for caution if only to protect Langworthy’s office staff who are simply trying to help constituents with federal matters.

None of this is new to anyone who remembers President Donald Trump’s term in office from 2016-2020. Trump engenders strong feelings both among those who support his policies and those who oppose them. He does not fall in the mold of the presidents we have seen in the past in the way he speaks and, thus far in his second term in office, in the policies he is pursuing. Langworthy finds himself in the crosshairs given his relationship with the president dating back to Trump’s first term. As Trump turns up the heat on Democrat-led states like New York, the reaction to Trump places Langworthy and other Trump supporters in Congress in the frying pan as well.

We could call for civility. We could call for cooler heads. We could appeal to the ideals of our Founding Fathers to have our political disagreements respectfully rather than resorting to threats. We are under no illusion cooler heads will prevail anytime soon.

These threats – whether they were truly serious or not – mean those who are clamoring for public town hall meetings where they can loudly try to sway Langworthy’s opinion aren’t going to happen anytime soon. That’s how much things have changed over the past few years. Rep. Tom Reed could host town hall meetings knowing that while there would be opposition to his policies expressed – often loudly – that there was no threat to the congressman’s safety. We can’t say with any certainty that is still the case.