On Political Violence
By Stephen Reeves
We should all unequivocally denounce political violence. In doing so, it is tempting to claim that killing political leaders is un-American, to believe we are beyond such atrocities more common in developing nations and young democracies. History teaches this is not the case.
The assassination attempt on former President Trump, and killing of firefighter Corey Comperatore, was tragic and reprehensible. A dark day in challenging times, indeed. I pray it does not prove to be a lit match thrown on the pile of dry kindling we've been stacking for years.
By many measures we are as divided now as any time since the Civil War or the upheaval of the 1960s. If that's true then I'm afraid we may be in another American assassination season. During those two eras, President Lincoln and President Kennedy were killed. So too Robert Kennedy, MLK, and Medgar Evers, were assassinated, among others. In times of division, the country I love tends to get violent.
Social scientists have been warning of this current threat. In a survey from a few years ago the Public Religion Research Institute found that 23% of Americans agreed “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” For Republicans, that number is 33%. Among Republicans who support former President Trump that number rises to an astounding 41%.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of our independence, we like to claim the U.S. is the longest surviving democracy on earth, but this stretches the truth. No woman could vote until just over 100 years ago. The Voting Rights Act was signed by President Johnson in 1965. It was less than 60 years ago that nonwhite Americans truly secured the right to vote. That legislation was only possible when the nation witnessed the political violence perpetrated against John Lewis and other marchers on “Bloody Sunday” in Selma. We’re not even 60 years into our attempt at a true multi-racial democracy. The outcome of this uniquely American experiment is yet to be determined.
We all carry responsibility in the outcome of this democratic experiment, and we hinder it when we “otherize” our fellow citizens. By labeling those with different convictions as enemies and threatening political opponents with jail time, we have fanned the flames of violence. By judging a neighbor’s worth based on their party affiliation and curating our social media feeds to drown out contrary views, we’ve fed a hyper-partisan culture that leads to dehumanization.
Once we acknowledge our own role in this context of violence, we should also recognize that the attempted assassination of a politician is only one type of political violence.
Driving through the night over 600 miles to an El Paso Walmart to target and kill 23 Saturday morning shoppers in an anti-Latino attack based on the racist, anti-immigrant, great replacement theory is political violence.
Joining a Bible study at an historic Black church, then gunning down nine Christians because they were “taking over our country” is political violence.
The State of Texas executing the poor, the abused, the mentally ill, the addicted, and those with inadequate counsel is political violence.
Snatching nursing migrant children from the arms of their mothers hoping to deter others from fleeing to the US is political violence.
Putting razor wire covered buoys in the Rio Grande and other fortifications on the border that we know will injure migrants or drive them to cartel coyotes is political violence.
Sending an endless supply of bombs and weapons of war used to kill children and civilians in Gaza is political violence.
If the truth is ever gonna set us free, we first must be humble enough to recognize that we're not so exceptional. Our self delusions need to die before another sister or brother becomes a victim of political violence. Only by living the truth that we’re all created equal in the image of God will we ever douse the rising flames.