In recent years, political violence in the United States (U.S.) has started to become an increasing reality. Multiple incidents, most notably the shooting of Charlie Kirk at a public event, reveal how differences in beliefs have escalated into immoral acts. Instead of uniting against these threats to our democracy and freedom of speech, our nation has only been plunged into more chaos with the normalization of a culture in which our voices are being silenced with intimidation and brutality.
This topic has been a growing concern, as it has had a long and troubling history in the U.S. Acts of violence against public figures have always existed, whether it’s during our time or dating back to generations before. From the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy to the turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, violence has often been used as a way to target political opponents. However, these attacks and confrontations have only continued to spread, revealing how frequently conflict has spilled over into physical aggression.
On Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking to an audience at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was a conservative activist who had founded the organization Turning Point USA. The shooting was immediately followed by a manhunt as law enforcement scrambled to secure footage and identify a suspect, as well as address campus security. It was later declared that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson had been charged with the attack.
Public reaction has been marked with shock at seeing such blatant murder and apprehension of further retaliation. There have been statements of how this event should never have taken place, as no matter what the opinions were, no one deserves to be taken down in such a ruthless manner for expressing their values.
The dangers of this “trend” cannot be emphasized enough. Whenever violence becomes a part of politics, people are unable to express their views without harm. This directly clashes with one of the very core foundations on which America was built: our right to freedom of speech. The First Amendment protects the people’s ability to openly voice their thoughts, but the fatal risks of uttering them undermine that guarantee. As a result of these messages to society, individuals may begin to censor themselves out of fear of injury or death.
Moving forward from the rise of these tragedies in the U.S., both accountability and change should be immediately implemented. Schools and families should continue to stress the importance of respectful debate and reduce the temptation to turn disagreements into malicious intent. Social media figures that many look up to could also lend a hand in this situation since they could take on the responsibility of condemning the hateful rhetoric that fuels such anger and division. Political representatives could further promote civil discourse and support social reforms that address the root causes of this issue. Everyone has their duty in encouraging peaceful behavior, but only by having the leaders of our generation stand up for these ethical boundaries can the nation restore stability and preserve the freedoms that political violence seeks to destroy.
