Political violence is rising. Can we stop it? Tell us. | Opinion
What is causing political attacks like the White House Correspondents' dinner shooting? Hostile rhetoric? Guns? Social media? And how do we stop the spiking political violence? Take our poll below.
Joel BurgessIn a frightening night, an armed man motivated by ideological ire made an attempt, we are told, to kill political officials with whom he disagreed.
This time it happened at a Washington, DC, hotel at an April 25 event meant to celebrate press freedom and the First Amendment. It ended, thankfully, with no one seriously hurt despite a Secret Service agent being shot. The agent was saved, apparently by a bullet-proof vest.
Looking at incidents like the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the June assassination of Democratic Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, the September killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk – and now what might be at least the third attempt on President Donald Trump's life with the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner – you might assume political violence is on the rise.
You are right.
According to Insurance Journal, which is in the business of tracking risk trends, "political violence exposures" have risen sharply "due to political polarization and election-linked volatility."
"Election-related violent threats surged 300% during the 2024 campaign cycle, and attacks against government facilities and public institutions have increased by 45% year-on-year," the March 23 article said, citing FBI data.
How do we stop political violence? Tell us below.
What is causing this uptick in violence that is the opposite of free speech? And how can we stop it? For answers, we're turning to you, our USA TODAY readers.
We're inviting you for our latest Forum feature to tell us, is the problem dehumanizing political rhetoric? Or is it social media? Maybe it's the broad availability of guns? Or isolation and mental health problems? Or are its origins something completely different?
Could we reduce political violence by regulating social media or firearms? Do we need to increase security? Or is there some way to instill a new national attitude that celebrates dialogue over demonizing?
Tell us using the form below, send us an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Forum political violence,” or leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923. We (real people) may reach out to you about your response. We'll publish a collection of your answers in an upcoming column.
Joel Burgess is a Voices editor for USA TODAY Opinion.