Tragedy, Spectacle, and Leadership: Reflections on America in 2025

When fear drives policy, we lose sight of the principles that sustain our republic

As Americans welcomed 2025, the celebrations were overshadowed by two shocking acts of violence that claimed innocent lives.

On January 1, two incidents involving U.S. veterans captured the nation’s attention: in Las Vegas, a former Green Beret detonated explosives in a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel; hours earlier in Louisiana, another veteran drove a Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck into New Year’s crowds on Bourbon Street.

These events left at least 16 people dead and many more injured. Were they connected? It’s too early to tell. But amidst the chaos, I found myself reflecting on a deeper issue that goes beyond the headlines.

As the French Quarter was being cleared of debris, the airwaves were dominated not by discussions of the root causes of these tragedies but by debates over a postponed football game. Meanwhile, social media erupted with reactions to the Las Vegas explosion, with some focusing on the durability of the Tesla Cybertruck rather than the lives impacted.

This bizarre juxtaposition—violence, consumerist detachment, and misplaced priorities—raises an unsettling question: Are we becoming numb to tragedy? Have our values shifted so drastically that we prioritize distractions over confronting profound national challenges? And perhaps most importantly, how are our leaders responding? Do they offer vision and resolve, or are they perpetuating this cycle of superficial engagement?

This isn’t the first time violence has been exploited or trivialized; in fact, it has been happening for centuries. For example, the Roentertained and pacifiedmans infamously used the Colosseum to distract their citizens from the empire’s decline. Public spectacles of suffering, like crucifixions or gladiator games, entertained and pacified a restless population.

Even in more recent history, we see similar patterns. You can probably think of similar events. I was reminded this week of the 1998 Capitol shooting, an event I witnessed up close. It was too close, and perhaps one day, I will share how a chance meeting kept me a few hundred feet away from the bloodshed.