DIARY OF A WORD NERD: Limiting the spread of political violence
Even the most casual observers of current events should realize that we’ve seen many incidents -dare I say too many incidents - of political violence over the past year or so in the U.S. In December 2024, the CEO of Unitedhealthcare was shot dead while walking to a meeting in Manhattan. In 2025 we heard about the assassination of a Minnesota state representative and an attack on the governor’s residence in Pennsylvania. September 2025 brought shock with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Closer to home, just a year ago, Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler was set on fire by an assailant who entered his workplace. And most recently, in April of 2026, a gunman attempted an armed attack at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
These events are concerning. We don’t need to hide in our homes, but we do need to equip ourselves with information to gain perspective and do what we can to stop the rise of this type of violence.
When I was in school, history class felt more like an exercise in memorizing dates than a valuable use of my time. Over the years, I’ve learned to appreciate the lessons of history and often find consolation in learning about events from the past. Our country has experienced spikes in political violence before and survived. It will again. In the mid-1800s, the Civil War nearly tore our country in half, and it was undoubtedly a time of extreme political unrest. Then, from 1865 to 1901, three American presidents were assassinated (Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley), all by assailants with political motives. The 1920s saw the rise of the Klu Klux Klan, which grew from an estimated 100,000 members to over four million in the era after WWI. And in the 1960s, the country saw three major political figures killed: Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and his brother Robert F. Kennedy. The ‘60s also featured riots, bombings, and protests about everything from Civil Rights to the Vietnam War.
Once again, in the 2020s, we face an uptick in political violence in the U.S. However, the current volatile climate is different for several reasons. First, violence is increasing on both sides of the political spectrum at the same time; in the past, it was usually encouraged by one side or the other. Also in the past, the violence was frequently organized by groups; now, lone actors often carry out attacks. The profile of the typical perpetrator has also evolved. Previously, violent actors came from fringe political or ideological movements. Currently, attackers can include small business owners, lawyers, and doctors. This is disconcerting. A culprit could be someone who lives in our community or who looks an awful lot like me and you.
Experts have several suggestions to explain these changes and the rise of political violence. Our country is experiencing significant social change in three ways. First, the rise of social media makes it easier to spread fear and propaganda. The wider awareness of political violence could also prompt greater acceptance of it, especially by people with violent tendencies. Second, the country is in the midst of a huge demographic shift. For the last 250 years, the U.S. has been a white majority country. In 1960, 88% of Americans were white (non-Hispanic.) In 2025, that percentage dropped to 57. Wealth is also shifting to the top 1% of the population. All of this leaves many people feeling powerless. Americans on both sides of the political spectrum increasingly believe that the country is leaving them behind and change through political means does not work.
Finally, current headlines, sound bites, and video clips of our political leaders too often include violent rhetoric and imagery. When the public regularly hears and sees politicians embracing language about fighting, killing, and destroying opponents, an attitude of aggression seeps into the general consciousness. This acceptance fuels more violence.
And that’s where we, the everyday citizens, come in.
We can affect the political climate in our country in two very important ways. The first is simple, personal advice that your elders or pastors probably gave you: watch your mouth. If we don’t want political violence permeating our country, it shouldn’t permeate the words that come out of our own mouths. People in the media might convince us that saying we want someone dead is okay. It’s just an expression. But, like the Margaret Atwood quote I have posted in the sidebar of my website, I believe, “A word after a word after a word is power.” Words matter. We should use them cautiously and respectfully.
Second, we need to mobilize the power of our words to influence the people who represent us in government. Polling shows that the majority of Americans do not condone political violence. We cannot let the 10-20% of Americans who accept or embrace political violence be the only voices our politicians hear. We should contact our leaders and ask them to condemn all forms of political violence and rhetoric. Let your representatives know that you don’t tolerate political violence and you don’t want them to either.
In Southwest Virginia, our political representatives in federal government are Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (Senators) and Morgan Griffith (House of Representatives.) For some, our state senator is Travis Hackworth and our Delegate to the VA General Assembly is Mitchell Cornett. Abigail Spanberger currently serves as Virginia’s governor. You can find your representatives and their contact information at https://ballotpedia.org/Who_represents_me.
Julia Tomiak lives in Wythe County and posts regularly to her website, Diary of a Word Nerd. Find her at www.juliatomiak.com.
