Let's Do This: We Need to Get a Lot More Serious About Denouncing Political Violence

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash

Yesterday, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speech at Utah Valley University.

I'm going to be very clear about this, perhaps to the point where some of you will be offended. Shooting people over their political views is wrong. Additionally, setting fire to the home of your city's mayor is wrong. Setting self-driving taxis on fire is wrong. Vandalizing Teslas is wrong. Throwing milkshakes at people is wrong. Throwing sandwiches at people is wrong. Throwing turkey at people is wrong. Political violence, in all of its forms, is wrong.

When it comes to political violence, we should not minimize it, excuse it, whataboutism it, or pretend it isn't happening. We need to denounce it. All of it. Period.

If we don't forcefully denounce political violence when it happens, it won't be long before those running our advocacy organizations can fire anyone who speaks out against violence. Further, according to a new survey from Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), support for using political violence to shut down speakers on college campuses is rising, with roughly one-third of college students supporting it in some instances.

We gotta stop saying things like “mostly peaceful” or “mostly nonviolent” as a way to brush aside political violence. Instead, we need to denounce all political violence when it happens. I mean, is there any other type of activity where something being “mostly nonviolent” would actually be ok?

Believe me, I know perfectly well this is not just a problem on the left. Because I have been in politics for so long at this point, I have experienced numerous threats of personal violence directed at me and my family from the right and the left. Some of this has just been in the “I wish you were dead” vein, where people email me to say that they wished a terrorist had crashed a plane into my house. However, other times it has been quite real, and involved threatening phone calls, an instance of SWATing, and other scary stuff. And I have had over 100 people email me endorsing the use of violence in politics.

Since this is an article in my “Let's Do This” column that focuses on political activism, I did want to leave you with an action you can immediately take. It's not much, but I do have a petition from Civic Shout denouncing all political violence from back in June, when multiple political figures in Minnesota were shot, including state representative Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated.

The petition will not be delivered to anyone, and should perhaps be best understand as a personal pledge to not endorse political violence. The specific language of the petition is as follows:

We demand that Congress, state legislatures, and governors across the country publicly and unequivocally denounce all political violence. Not in vague terms—clearly, forcefully, and without qualification.

We also call for stronger protections for public servants and a concerted effort to confront the toxic rhetoric that fuels extremism. Democracy requires debate, not bloodshed.

We cannot allow violence to become an accepted tool of political expression. If we fail to act, we risk normalizing the unthinkable.

Sign the petition demanding our elected leaders draw a bright red line: political violence is never acceptable. Not in Minnesota. Not anywhere. Not ever.

Please add your name to the petition unequivocally denouncing all political violence, and urging all of our elected officials to do the same.

Signing the petition may result in receiving email updates from Civic Shout. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you sign the petition, you will be shown a second petition. I do not know what petition Civic Shout will show you, as I have no control over it.