There are three major problems when it comes to understanding political violence in America. First, Americans cannot seem to agree on a definition of political violence. Second, people are too busy blaming their perceived political foes to see the larger problem for what it is. And, third, the big one, nobody knows how to make it stop. I've reported on political violence for going on two decades (including in a cover story for this magazine in 2023), and I think some of what I've learned over the years can help'or at the very least might help sharpen people's understanding of the problem. What even is political violence' Especially in a nation where every last corner of public life has been so thoroughly politicized, I favor the simplest definition: Political violence refers to violent acts intended to provoke or prevent political change. The question of who is to blame is fraught. It is quite obviously true that the left has a political-violence problem. Anyone telling you...
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