User:Skakkle/political violence

this is a personal reflection

The phrase "political violence" seems to be getting heavy usage since the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. I think what most commentators mean is something like "partisan violence".

That is to say, a proper definition of political violence should include state violence, but these commentators are proscribing their new favorite term more narrowly. They seem to mean violence directed at partisan targets, particularly prominent ones, perhaps to include party offices or entertainment celebrities.

To be perfectly unambiguous: partisan here means at least two things, but we're going to consider three things extending our analysis beyond the word partisan.

.#1 Democrat vs Republican (these are organizations battling for control of the government).

.#2 It means liberal vs conservative secondly (these are political ideologies that elected officials and citizens can share).

.#3 Liberal culture vs conservative culture is the third dichotomy to consider. (These are wide and broad categories that aren't always cleanly defined but in their most potent forms show us everything about the cultural and political diversity within the United States).

Again, partisan has typically indicated someone who takes sides in a well-defined political fight. this applies to #1 and #2, but not really #3.

and #3 is the most salient sort of "split" to consider as we try to carefully assess threats in a new way. We must observe some large and small "cultural divides" that cut widely and broadly across our society and geography. We must observe how these differences are being exploited for political gain. and those in the political sphere must remember that that exploitation can give rise to violence