Encourages residents of NJ to treat one another civilly amid period of increased political violence.

SR56

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 56

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED JANUARY 28, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JON M. BRAMNICK

District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Diegnan

SYNOPSIS

���� Encourages residents of NJ to treat one another
civilly amid period of increased political violence.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A Senate
Resolution
encouraging residents of New
Jersey to treat one another civilly amid a period of increased political
violence in this country.

Whereas,
The root word of �civility�
means to be �a member of a household;� and

Whereas,
There are rules of civility
that allow us to live peacefully within society, just as there are certain
rules that allow family members to live peacefully within a household; and

Whereas,
The Greek philosopher
Aristotle saw civility as a form of friendship, which he understood as a mutual
feeling of goodwill, and believed that humans are capable of promoting another
person�s interest without regard for their own; and

Whereas,
Aristotle�s beliefs have
recently been challenged, as the last two decades have seen an increase in
hostile political rhetoric and political violence around the country; and

Whereas,

On January 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords was injured when a man
shot her and 18 others, six of whom died, at a constituent meeting outside of a
supermarket; and

Whereas,

On June 14, 2017, U.S. Representative Steve Scalise was injured when a man shot
him and four others at a GOP team practice for a Congressional baseball game;
and

Whereas,

On October 28, 2022, Paul Pelosi, husband of the then U.S. House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi, was injured in an early morning attack in their San Francisco home by a
man wielding a hammer; and

Whereas,

On July 13, 2024, former President Donald Trump was injured when a man shot him
and three others, one of whom died, at a Pennsylvania campaign rally; and

Whereas,

According to data provided by the United States Capitol Police, a law
enforcement agency charged with protecting members of Congress, cases related
to �concerning statements and threats� jumped from 3,939 in 2017 to 9,625 in 2021;
and

Whereas,

New Jersey is not immune from the effects of national political violence; and

Whereas,
New Jersey is the only
State in which all counties are classified as metropolitan areas, with the
dense population of this State making it easy to get frustrated, especially
while waiting in line or sitting in traffic; and

Whereas,
In an effort to enrich the
lives of residents of this State, impolite and antagonistic behavior should be
curtailed without the creation of new laws; and

Whereas,
Increased courtesy and
respect amongst residents will reduce stress and make daily tasks more
enjoyable; and

Whereas,
With just the slightest
effort of each individual, a chain of goodwill would ripple throughout the
stores, streets, and neighborhoods of New Jersey; and

Whereas,

One of the strengths of our system of government is the ability to debate and
disagree while allowing peace to prevail and that is a trait that New Jerseyans
and Americans cannot forget; now, therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate of the State of New
Jersey:

���� 1.��� This House hereby
condemns the attempted assassination of former President Trump and all other
political violence and urges elected leaders in New Jersey and around the
country to set examples for their constituents by treating political opponents
with civility and respect.

���� 2.��� Copies of this
resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the
Secretary of the Senate to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United
States Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United States House
of Representatives, and every member of Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT

���� This Senate resolution
encourages residents of New Jersey to treat one another civilly amid a period
of increased political violence in this country.�

���� There are rules of civility
that allow us to live peacefully within society.� The Greek philosopher
Aristotle saw civility as a form of friendship and believed that humans are
capable of promoting another person�s interest without regard for their own.�
The belief in the civility of society has been challenged over recent years as
political violence has increased significantly in the United States.

���� Throughout the last two
decades, multiple political figures have been attacked, with some attacks
causing the injuries and deaths of other people.� Data provided by the United
States Capitol Police, a law enforcement agency charged with protecting members
of Congress, indicates that cases related to �concerning statements and
threats� have jumped from 3,939 in 2017 to 9,625 in 2021.

���� New Jersey is not immune from
the effects of national political violence. �New Jersey is the only State in
which all counties are classified as metropolitan areas, creating an abnormally
dense population and making it easy to get frustrated, especially while waiting
in line or sitting in traffic.� In an effort to enrich the lives of residents
in this State, impolite and antagonistic behavior should be curtailed without
the implementation of new laws.� Increased courtesy and respect amongst
residents would reduce stress and result in a chain of goodwill that would
ripple throughout the stores, streets, and neighborhoods of New Jersey.

���� One of the strengths of our
system of government is the ability to debate and disagree while allowing peace
to prevail.� This must be remembered, along with a charge of civility towards
one another.�

���� The resolution condemns the
attempted assassination of former President Trump and any other political
violence, and urges elected leaders in New Jersey and around the country to set
examples by treating political opponents with civility and respect.