As elected officials are murdered in their homes and threats escalate nationwide, we must confront the deadly cost of divisive rhetoric — and why it matters now more than ever to Black communities.
The recent targeted murders of elected officials in Minnesota are a national tragedy — shameful, despicable and heartbreaking. On June 14, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were gunned down in their Brooklyn Park home by a man impersonating a police officer. That same day, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were critically wounded in a similar attack. Law enforcement later revealed that the suspect had compiled a hit list of more than 30 elected officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.
This violence is appalling but, tragically, it is not surprising.
In recent years, America has witnessed an alarming rise in political violence: the foiled plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, the 2022 hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, and the arsonist who set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home earlier this year. These acts aren’t random. They reflect an increasingly dangerous climate — one that has been stoked, not softened, by the words of those in power.
Chief among them is Donald J. Trump, the 47th president of the United States.
Violent language can — and does — lead to violent action.
For nearly a decade, Trump has used his platform not to unite, but to vilify; not to uplift, but to provoke. In campaign rallies, speeches, interviews and social media posts, he has painted his political opponents as enemies, traitors and threats to the nation’s survival. He has spoken of “bloodbaths” if he loses elections. He’s suggested that top military officials deserve execution. He has referred to immigrants as people who are “poisoning the blood of our country” and revived dehumanizing language like “vermin” to describe his critics.
Even members of his own party have not been spared. He said Sen. Mitch McConnell had a “death wish” and publicly mocked McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, using a racist nickname. In 2019, he told four congresswomen of color — including Omar — to “go back” to the “crime-infested countries” they came from, though all were U.S. citizens and three were born in America.
These aren’t gaffes. They are intentional rhetorical choices, often delivered with a smirk and later defended or repeated. And while many Americans dismiss them as showmanship or tough talk, the real-world consequences are now impossible to ignore.
Violent language can — and does — lead to violent action. The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, carried out by supporters who believed Trump’s repeated lies about a stolen election, proved that. In its aftermath, rather than denounce the rioters, Trump referred to them as patriots. Earlier this year, he used the powers of his office to pardon many of them.
And now, with elected officials being gunned down in their homes, we see the terrifying next chapter.
The Minnesota shooter reportedly believed several of his targets were “enemies of America.” That chilling phrase echoes the same logic heard too often from podiums and platforms: that those with different views are not merely wrong but dangerous — that they are “other.” And once someone becomes “other,” it becomes easier for the unhinged to justify taking action.
To be clear: individuals are responsible for the violence they commit. But we must not ignore the ecosystem of words that makes such violence feel permissible. When a president routinely labels opponents as subhuman, corrupt or criminal, when he normalizes threats and mocks the vulnerable, it emboldens the unstable. It validates hatred. It invites tragedy.
As citizens, as voters, as people of conscience — we must reject language that tears at the fabric of democracy.
So what? Why should this matter especially to Black communities?
Because we’ve lived this before. We know what happens when leaders use fear and division to consolidate power. We’ve seen the consequences of being labeled as threats, invaders or outsiders. Whether through dog whistles or bullhorns, the language of dehumanization has too often been a prelude to policies — or violence — meant to silence, suppress or destroy.
If the murder of public servants in Minnesota teaches us anything, it’s that silence in the face of dangerous rhetoric is not an option. As citizens, as voters, as people of conscience, we must reject language that tears at the fabric of democracy. We must insist that those who seek to lead us do so with dignity, not destruction.
Words matter. Especially the president’s. Because when words become weapons, none of us is safe.
The post AFRO Editorial: Our lives are on the line—again: What political violence means for Black America appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
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