For immediate release July 14, 2024
PORTLAND, OR – The War Prevention Initiative strongly condemns political violence. The assassination attempt that killed one spectator and caused critical injuries to others at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, is unacceptable. Violence does not solve political disputes or contribute to a stronger democracy. Only by showing compassion towards one another, engaging in dialogue, and committing to nonviolence can we work towards restoring peace in the 2024 election year.
To be clear, the United States is already experiencing a time of political violence related to elections. This started most notably during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol and reached another ugly climax at the assassination attempt. Acts of violence, like the recent incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, are not isolated events but part of a larger trend of increasing threats of violence and harassment against public officials in the United States, from local to national levels. For example, the Bridging Divides Initiatives at Princeton University has recorded a 55% increase in threats and harassment against local officials since 2022. Additionally, Capitol Police have observed record-high rates of threats of violence and harassment against members of Congress.
Toxic political polarization fosters the dehumanization of political opponents, providing an unjustifiable rationale for some to embrace violence. It is alarming that some national polls show increasing numbers of Americans believing that political violence is appropriate to “get the country back on track.” Toxic polarization and a belief in the righteous use of violence is a dangerous combination that could give rise to more political violence, like what we witnessed over the weekend.
Acts and threats of political violence are attempts to impose a political outcome by force and must be stopped. More must be done to reverse toxic political polarization, and most importantly, it can be achieved through nonviolent means. Numerous organizations, like Living Room Conversations or Faithful America, are working to address toxic polarization nonviolently through dialogue. Other organizations are countering the spread of hate and extremism online by offering alternative messaging, as featured in our special issue of the Peace Science Digest on countering hate and extremism.
Please visit the organizations and resources listed below to learn more about what can be done to address political violence and end toxic polarization. Please read the resources to understand better how we got here.
Resources
How to Prevent Widespread Violence After Trump’s Shooting – https://www.newsweek.com/how-prevent-widespread-violence-after-trumps-shooting-opinion-1925377
Peace Science Digest Special Issue: Countering Hate and Violent Extremism – https://warpreventioninitiative.org/peace-science-digest/special-issue-countering-hate-and-violent-extremism/
BDI Launches Public Event-Level Dataset on Threats and Harassment Against Local Officials – https://bridgingdivides.princeton.edu/updates/2024/bdi-launches-public-event-level-dataset-threats-and-harassment-against-local-officials
‘We’ll See You at Your House’: How Fear and Menace Are Transforming Politics – https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/19/us/politics/political-violence.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
The Way Out – https://www.thewayoutofpolarization.com/
The Global Initiative on Polarization (Institute for Integrated Transitions) – https://ifit-transitions.org/the-global-initiative-on-polarization/
Brace for Election Violence. Work to Prevent It– https://www.newsweek.com/brace-election-violence-work-prevent-it-opinion-1923394
Political violence is surging, but there’s a playbook to counter it – https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/06/political-violence-surging-2024-election-authoritarian-playbook-hardy-merriman/
