Political Violence Must End

Political violence is on the rise in the United States because of the lack of political decorum and the failure of our educational system to educate young people on the responsibilities of citizenship.

It is an indictment of our political environment that 4 of Trump’s cabinet officers have been forced to live on military bases because of legitimate threats they have received. Presumably, these threats have not been made by some of the citizens from the “baskets of deplorables” that Hillary worried about during her campaign against Trump.

Many of these threats are made by leftists who choose to speak admiringly about the murderer, Luigi Mangione, who, in cold blood, shot the CEO of a  healthcare corporation.

Several years ago, protesters against the Supreme Court became so upset at a ruling and attempted violence at the homes of Justices of the Court. Let us not forget  that some people were upset with the 2020 election results and became violent in their attempt to gain entrance to our nation’s Capitol. 

Why has our country slipped into a twisted era where college graduates are convinced they should murder public figures with whom they disagree?

Part of the blame can be put on universities where the faculty bodies have a lopsided political view that is far outside of the mainstream views of the public. Many professors live in bubbles where they earn huge salaries and seldom come into contact with people who have opposing views. These professors with leftist fringe views teach their students that conservative viewpoints have no place in public discourse. Some of the students absorb these teachings and then determine they are justified in eliminating people who espouse conservative views. 

The press has played a role in this uptick in political violence. Peggy Noonan, in the Wall Street Journal, pointed out that the press amplifies the lunatic claims of shooters and then turns the tables on the victims and asks them why they are so disliked. Members of the mainstream media asked Trump why people think he is a tyrant. Can you imagine a reporter asking Jackie Kennedy why so many people hated her husband.?

Politicians of both parties need to shout loudly that violence is not acceptable no matter how much you disagree with a political enemy. Failure to take a decisive stand against political violence could lead to a civil war where people on both sides of the political spectrum believe they are justified in using violence against their political enemies.