Ashley Pratte

Opinion contributor

America is enduring a series of scary moments this week with suspicious packages found on or near the properties of George Soros, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, CNN’s New York studios and now Joe Biden and Robert DeNiro. While I would hate to jump to conclusions as to why these explosive devices were sent, it is important to note the language and rhetoric that has consistently come from the White House about journalists and the media as well as Democrats. Has this become the new normal? If you are a politician, an activist or a member of the press, should you constantly be on edge and fear for your safety and your life?

As more information comes out, it is important to remember that leadership comes from the top and America currently has a president who advocates for “body slamming” reporters, mocks and ridicules mainstream media networks and their anchors, calls the media the “enemy of the American people,” refers to the Left as “extremists” and an “angry, ruthless, unhinged mob,” has joked about punching protesters in the face, and casts significant blame and name-calls Democratic leadership. It would be hard to consider these recent unnerving events and not see a parallel between the two.

The White House has denounced the despicable actions of those who sent the explosives and President Donald Trump has called for civility. But it's not enough. He must also stop his fear-mongering rhetoric and make clear going forward that political violence is intolerable.

Will Trump ever learn that words matter?

Those working within the administration have a responsibility to do due diligence and make sure the rhetoric coming from the Trump White House unifies rather than divides. Yes, they can have disagreements with Democrats on policy — but they should not resort to calling them an angry mob or extremists. That only fans the flames of a very angry conservative base.

We all learned from a very young age that words do indeed matter — a concept it seems this White House has yet to learn. In the age of social media and 280-character tweets, words have become all the more important. The problem here is President Trump's words carry significant weight and without evidence to back up his claims, he is only stirring a pot. Making flippant, baseless accusations on social media accounts and at rallies to fire up his base is beneath the office of the presidency.

More:Incivility is escalating and now we have pipe bombs. We need a contagion of kindness.

Hillary Clinton wants a war on civility? That will cost Democrats, big time

US needs to get past zero-sum 'I win, you lose' politics like Kavanaugh fight: Kasich

What's more, it is critical that journalists be allowed to do their jobs, which means fact-checking and reporting. While today's news cycle has become hyper-partisan, it is still important for the media to be held accountable — along with our government. As Thomas Jefferson said, "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."

Journalists should not fear digging for the truth and should always strive for accuracy in their reporting, because it’s a core pillar of our democracy. While the White House is trying to punish certain networks (halting appearances by members of its team), Trump and his administration are missing out on an opportunity to correct what they view as misrepresentations of their agenda, and to reach a broader audience. They need to realize that the president represents all Americans, not just the ones who voted for him. With that comes the understanding that not all Americans watch the same news programs.

It isn't un-American to disagree with Trump

Trump consistently belittles reporters he disagrees with and will shut them out from asking questions, but it’s important that they don’t stand down and that they continue to ask.The First Amendment isn't selective; it applies to everyone. Trump would be smart to recognize that the First Amendment he so ardently defended during the campaign also applies to his adversaries and those whose political opinions are not the same as his. As Americans, we are all entitled to our opinions, and that doesn't make anyone less American than anyone else.

In my own personal experience as a political commentator critical of the administration, I have made frequent and various appearances on MSNBC, Fox News and Fox Business. I can tell you that I have received horrible tweets and letters, some threatening, some slandering and some degrading. I’ve been told my first-born child should be killed, I should be beheaded at my parents’ doorstep, I should “shut up b----,” and I should not be allowed to vote. Unfortunately, this is a risk those working in the public sphere now take.

These are frightening and divided times we are living in, but I would like to believe that all civility is not lost and that our country can grow and heal and learn to respect differences of all kinds: opinion, politics, skin color, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. In his quest to “Make America Great Again,” Trump has only divided our country further and used our differences to drive us apart rather than bring us together as Americans.

Ashley Pratte, a communications strategist who is on the board of Republican Women for Progress, previously served as director of media relations and public affairs at the American Legislative Exchange Council and director of media relations at Better For America. Follow her on Twitter: @AshPratte