Political Violence
This week our focus is on responding to political violence.
Reflections on the Death of Charlie Kirk
"Empathy in a not so empathetic time is not a sign of weakness — but of humanity"
from Let's Address This with Qasim Rashid
"Hannah Arendt once wrote, 'The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.'
"That quote has echoed in my mind as I reflect on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. We’ve seen a disturbing cruelty take hold in our politics. I want to be clear: I extend empathy to Kirk and I pray for his family, not because of who he is, but because of who I am. I do so not because I find a single redeeming quality in his personality or character. I honestly don’t. But instead, because I care about how we move forward as a country when violence has tragically and increasingly become the norm? This is not sustainable.
"I know this is hard. We saw the cruelty of the MAGA right when MN Democratic State Senator Melissa Hortman was assassinated in a targeted attack. To this day Donald Trump never bothered to condemn that political violence or extend his sympathies.
"Why have empathy for those who show none?
"It gets even more difficult to have empathy when you recall that Kirk once sneered, 'I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up new age term, and it does a lot of damage.' Moreover he falsely claimed 'guns save lives,' and even argued it was 'worth it' for some people to die from gun violence every year just so the Second Amendment could exist. He dehumanized immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQ people, Black people, Palestinians, women, and more.
"Two things can be simultaneously true. I can detest what Kirk stood for and the hatred he spread and work ferociously to counter his hate. And, I can be sure to not allow Kirk’s injustices make me act like him. I will not allow his fear of the other infect my ability to see the humanity in every person.
"My standard is justice, always, and that will never change.
Just Another Day ...
September 12, 2025
from Heather Cox Richardson
"Since a gunman murdered right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, both social media circles and the political sphere have been alight with accusations that 'the Left' was responsible for the shooting. Prominent right-wing social media accounts called the Democratic Party 'a domestic terror organization' and declared 'WAR.' Billionaire Elon Musk posted: 'The Left is the party of murder.'
"Meanwhile, it was not clear the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was up to the task of finding the killer...
"Meanwhile, David J. Bier of the Cato Institute reported that one in five FBI agents have been diverted from their jobs to conduct immigration raids with Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
"Robinson [the gunman] appears to have admired the 'Groypers,' led by Nick Fuentes, who complain that more mainstream organizations like Kirk’s Turning Point USA are not 'pro-white' enough and have publicly harassed Kirk in the past.
"Allison Gill of The Breakdown explained that the rumors the shooter had engraved anti-fascist rhetoric on some of the bullet casings found at the scene turned out to be a misunderstanding of terms from the video game Helldivers2. The claim that he had used 'transgender ideology' was apparently a misreading of the headstamp 'TRN' that marks ammunition as the product of Turkish manufacturer Turan.
"Almost as soon as Robinson was identified, the tone of MAGA leader’s conversation about the shooting changed. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), who had used a slur to refer to the shooter as pro-transgender, posted on social media: 'We know Charlie Kirk would want us to pray for such an evil, and lost individual like Tyler Robinson to find Jesus Christ. We will try to do the same.'
"The day of Kirk’s murder, Russia sent 19 drones into Poland—some armed and some unarmed—testing the strength of the neighboring country.
"If the U.S. is weakening ties to traditional defensive alliances, it is attempting to flex its muscles by going after alleged drug dealers with a newly dubbed 'Department of War.' On September 2, Trump announced the U.S. had struck a boat he claimed was carrying drugs to the U.S., killing 11 civilians he claimed were 'Tren de Aragua Narco terrorists.' The administration posted a video of the operation online.
"From the start, legal specialists noted that the U.S. made the strike without legal authority. Trump simply claimed the power to kill men he claimed were a danger to the U.S., advancing the argument that drug smuggling is the same thing as an imminent military attack on the U.S. and thus the laws of war are in force.
. . .
Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence (HOPE-PV)
Ordinary people have always made it clear: together, we are powerful, and political violence ends here
from
"The HOPE guide is designed to help people across the United States counter political violence. It aims to empower individuals and strengthen communities to make political violence backfire against those who incite, threaten, and enact it.
"Community responses to political violence can both support victims and impose costs on those who incite and engage in abuse. We need to stand up to those who want to silence our voices, who try to deny us our rights, and who aim to bully their way into political influence through intimidation and violence."
The 'Backfire' Model
"The goal of the 'backfire' model is to make sure that when any kind of political violence takes place, perpetrators face high costs for their actions.
- Reveal
- Redeem
- Reframe
- Redirect
- Resist
'America’s Reichstag Fire'
Political violence remains rare, but leaders can help prevent tragedy by condemning hate and defending democratic values
from Strength in Numbers
"There is a puzzle at the heart of this recent violence: Most Americans reject political violence in all circumstances, especially when you measure it carefully. The few who do support violence are typically isolated, sick, and, unfortunately, in America, also have easy access to weapons manufactured for the sole purpose of murdering people.
"So if support for violence is very low, why does violence appear to be getting more common — and more severe? I’ve taken a look at the evidence from social science, and much of the answer has to do with toxic rhetoric from our political leaders. Rising level of hate and affective polarization, exacerbated by social media, also play a role."
Indivisible’s Commitment to Nonviolence
From the start, we've been committed to non-violence as a guiding principle in everything we do: our protests, our organizing, and our advocacy.
from Indivisible
"We reject all forms of political violence and intimidation, no matter the source or the target. That’s not just a moral stance—it’s a strategic one. Movements that create lasting change do so by building trust, forging solidarity, and demonstrating discipline, even in the face of threats or attacks.
"Non-violence doesn’t mean backing down. It means standing firm in our values, channeling our anger and our hope into action, and refusing to become what we’re fighting against. We are up against a movement that feeds on fear and chaos. Our answer is a movement grounded in courage, solidarity, and the unshakable belief that a better, more just democracy is worth fighting for—together.
"Non-violence is our strength
"We are firmly committed to non-violence. That’s not just a moral stance—it’s how we build durable power. We reject political violence and intimidation in all forms. Our resistance is strategic, principled, and grounded in the knowledge that peaceful movements win."