The fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder and influential conservative leader Charlie Kirk in Utah this week is shining a new spotlight on an issue that has been bubbling under the surface in America---political violence. Kirk's assassination comes after numerous high-profile incidents of violence directed at political figures in recent years. In 2017, a leftist activist shot and wounded Congressman Steve Scalise in a targeted attack. In 2022, federal authorities thwarted an assassination plot against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Then there were the two assassination attempts on Donald Trump within months of each other in 2024, followed by the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by a political activist last December.
All of these incidents come amidst some sobering new statistics. A recent poll found about half of self-described liberals believe assassinating Donald Trump or Elon Musk would be at least "somewhat justified." Another survey last winter found about 4-in-10 younger Americans believe Thompson's murder was justified. "The reality is that respectful discord is a lost art in our nation, where one's opinions can now be used against them with the click of a trigger," says Andy Kahan, Director of Victims Services for Houston Crime Stoppers. "And we're seeing this all and all too often."
Kahan believes society's permissive attitude toward violent crime is partially to blame for this trend, which is why he has been a strong advocate of punishing and deterring violence. But reversing this trend will require changing hearts and minds, rather than just changing policy. "I just truly hope that (Charlie's) death is not in vain, that perhaps hopefully it can be a catalyst for change," he says. "And maybe we can all regain our senses, and stop this endless violence which is plaguing our nation on a daily basis."
Photo: AFP