The Unsettling Rise of Political Violence in America

 ### The Unsettling Rise of Political Violence in America:

**A Foreboding Era of Brutality**:

The brutal political violence we see today in America may only be the beginning. Last weekend, a young man attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. I woke up to this chilling news in a sleepy Spanish surf town where I'm vacationing for the summer. The headlines read “Violencia Política en Los Estados Unidos.” Suddenly, I was transported back to my childhood, worrying about friends and family, only this time it was the United States, not Mexico, under threat.

**A Troubling Parallel to Latin America**:

Latin America has a long history of political violence, sometimes fueled by the U.S., but not always. A year ago, Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed during a campaign event. Two years prior, Haitian President Jovenal Moise was shot dead, and his wife was seriously wounded when armed men infiltrated their home.

**Historical Context of Political Violence**:

Attacks on government figures are as old as government itself. From the brutal stabbing of Julius Caesar in 44 BC to the shooting of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, radicalized individuals have often taken drastic measures to influence history. Sometimes, the victims were dictators, like Caesar. More often, however, they represented social or political shifts that many refused to accept.

**Corruption and Civility**:

In recent decades, political violence has been viewed as a symptom of corruption and a lack of civility. It's a crime often associated with countries perceived as crass, uneducated, and corrupt. Donald Trump has repeatedly labeled Mexico's government as corrupt. At the announcement of his candidacy on June 16, 2015, he claimed Mexican immigrants were “bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” This rhetoric resurfaced in his 2024 RNC nomination acceptance speech, where he baselessly accused countries like El Salvador of sending their murderers to the U.S. Trump has always argued that violence in America is the result of outsiders.

**A Violent Political Landscape Above the Border**:

However, in recent years, the political landscape in the U.S. has become increasingly violent and corrupt, and it's not Latin Americans carrying out these crimes. In the fall of 2020, more than a dozen men were arrested for plotting to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow the Michigan state government. Nils Kessler, a federal prosecutor, compared the plot’s leader, Barry Croft, to foreign terrorists. The masterminds behind the plot were white, middle-aged men who fancied themselves as patriots. They trained extensively in the Midwest and crossed state borders to participate in the planned assassination.

The unsettling rise of political violence in America demands our urgent attention and action. This growing brutality is not the product of foreign influences but a homegrown issue that threatens the very fabric of our society.

**A Growing Threat of Political Violence**:

In 2022, David DePape broke into Nancy Pelosi’s home and assaulted her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer. This incident, driven by far-right conspiracy theories from QAnon, occurred just a week before the congressional elections. DePape, a white Canadian in the U.S. illegally, highlighted the growing threat of politically motivated violence.

**The Infamous Capitol Riot**:

Who could forget January 2021, when thousands of radicalized white Americans stormed the U.S. Capitol to “stop the steal”? They attacked Capitol Police and constructed a gallows on the front lawn, showcasing the dangerous power of divisive rhetoric.

**Rising Threats Against Public Officials**:

According to PBS News, political violence and threats against public officials in America have been rising over the past decade. This surge can be traced to divisive rhetoric from leaders of both parties. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, director of research at American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab, points to another issue: “ordinary citizens who give up.

**Contradictory Calls for Unity**:

Former President Trump’s speech at the RNC urged unity while reiterating alarming talking points. Under a Trump presidency, climate change would accelerate, deportations would be rampant, and Christian national values would permeate American life, regardless of one’s religious beliefs (I am not religious). Rachel Maddow described Trump's lengthy speech as “a Fidel Castro kind of experience,” clocking in at over an hour and a half, the longest in RNC history.

**Echoes of Insane Promises**:

To me, Trump’s promises echo those of radical candidates worldwide, promising radical improvements if they win. “I could stop wars with just a telephone call,” Trump declared, following a rant about Latin American immigrants seeking asylum. With President Biden bedridden with Covid and out of the race four months before the election, I fear the brutality of this era in America is only beginning. In Mexico, my family’s well-being is in the hands of corrupt politicians and ruthless cartels. I hope my father didn’t leave his homeland only for his daughter to face a similar fate in America.

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