Using Violence or the Threat of Violence to Force Political Change

  Oath Keepers in “stack” formation 

Proud Boys

Radicals "driven by a belief in the superiority of the white race continue to pose the primary threat among [domestic violent extremists] of committing lethal violence against civilians, based on their ideology and attack history." 

 October 2022 Report from the FBI

The above title is one viable definition of “terrorism.” But this blog is about domestic terrorism, which we have witnessed escalating over the past few years with angry violence for issues like election fraud/denial, anti-abortion zeal, racial/ethnic/gender/religious hatred, anti-medical personnel treating COVID, anti-vaxxers and anti-government insurrection. Women have been targeted more than men, but the issue is pervasive. While the FBI once focused on foreign-based terrorists, like those who fomented the 9/11/01 attacks, the above report confirms that today, threats from domestic terrorist far exceed threats from foreign agents. Within that substantial cadre of domestic terrorists, groups advocating white supremacy remain our nation’s major threat.

But how did we get here? Here are some pre-2020 election statistics from Politico: “There has been an even larger increase in the share of both Democrats and Republicans who believe there would be either ‘a lot’ or ‘a great deal’ of justification for violence if their party were to lose in November. The share of Republicans seeing substantial justification for violence if their side loses jumped from 15 percent in June to 20 percent in September, while the share of Democrats jumped from 16 percent to 19 percent.” Today, one in five Americans believe that political violence can be justified.

Did this start with Donald Trump’s unbridled personal attacks, which escalated until the lid blew off the Capitol building on January 6, 2021? Or was this just simmering anger that was slowly legitimized by social media and right-wing mainstream media… enhanced by a leader who simply recognized this previously voiceless constituency. Is it true that there really are no more “lone wolves”… that social media has linked distant dissidents into mutually supporting aggregations of discontent?

We’ve always had extremists organizing and training uniformed militias in obscure regions of states like Idaho and eastern Washington; they just did not participate in a major coup to take over our nation’s Capitol and attempt to reverse the outcome of a clearly legitimate presidential election under the guise of non-existent election fraud. Armed and uniformed militia, like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys pictured above, seemingly with the blessing and encouragement of the 45th President of the United States, joined if not fomented that Capitol attack. As the numbers suggest, this growing anger has been outed, legitimized and given seemingly free range to deploy violence against those who disagree with their political focus. Notwithstanding hundreds of criminal convictions for such militant political violence. Add a nation with more guns than people, including well over 20 million military grade assault rifles, and it is not surprising to watch violence escalate.

It's everywhere. Even where guns are not involved, public forums have become impossible to govern as public political stalwarts, often embracing competing conspiracy theories, turn their rage on the elected officials holding mandated public hearings. Karen Brulliard, writing for the January 17th Washington Post, examines this growing trend:

“Across a polarized nation, governing bodies are restricting — and sometimes even halting — public comment to counter what elected officials describe as an unprecedented level of invective, misinformation and disorder from citizens when they step to the microphone. As contentious social issues roil once-sleepy town council and school board gatherings, some officials say allowing people to have their say is poisoning meetings and thwarting the ability to get business done…

“The efforts to moderate public comment — and audience outbursts that can accompany it — are taking place in both red and blue regions as elected officials cope with what the American Association of School Administrators, the School Superintendents Association and the National School Boards Association have referred to as rising threats of violence and aggression at community meetings.

“But some legal experts and lawmakers worry some restrictions are overreactions by thin-skinned officials that skirt unconstitutional limitations on free speech. Even if legal, they argue, reining in comment runs contrary to the American ideal of letting the public express views to representatives chosen and funded by taxpayers — even if those views include threats, bigotry and falsehoods.”

After January 6, 2021, the discontent began to spread into smaller, regional elections. Most recently, convicted felon, Solomon “Peña, a Republican, is accused of conspiring with and paying four men to carry out four shootings at Albuquerque-area homes belonging to two Democratic Bernalillo County commissioners and two state legislators, Albuquerque police said… No one was hurt. A lawyer for Peña could not be reached for comment… Peña lost his bid for a state House seat in November in a landslide to incumbent Democrat Miguel P. Garcia by 74% to 26%.” NBC News, January 17th. Like many election deniers, Peña claims the election was stolen.

Can democracy survive this social sanction permitting acceptance of expressing anger and political passion… without reasonable bounds? Violence is OK. Personal insults are OK. Disrupting governmental hearings and stopping or forcing a reversal of votes are OK. A tiny minority of MAGA right-wing Republicans seems to have hijacked the GOP House majority to impose their will to reverse past legislation by holding our national debt ceiling hostage. “Me” wants to force “mine” on everybody, regardless of the will of most of us or the fundamental rights of many of us.

I’m Peter Dekom, and I hope that rising younger generations reject this egregious expression of anger, a need to impose individual extremes on everyone… or we are over as a viable democratic nation.