Political violence must stop

Political violence is like a hideous disease. On Saturday, it claimed the lives of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, who were both shot and killed in what authorities have described as a targeted assassination. Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat like Hortman, and his wife were wounded in a separate attack by the same gunman, identified by law enforcement as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. He allegedly posed as a police officer to get close to his victims. Thankfully, he was arrested Sunday night before he could carry out additional attacks. And, from the evidence available thus far, it appears Boelter had plans to kill again. Police reported that Boelter had gone to the home of another state representative, who was away on vacation, and the home of another state senator. He was frightened off at the senator's house by a police officer. The violence could have been even more widespread. In Boelter's vehicle, investigators found a notebook that included the names of more than 45 other state and federal officials, all Democrats. Among those names were the five Democratic members of Ohio's congressional delegation, including U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, who represents part of Vermilion. (Prior to redistricting, she also represented several communities in northern Lorain County.) Kaptur was understandably concerned about her inclusion in the writings of an alleged assassin. "Political extremism in America is cause for serious reflection and concern," her office said in a statement released Monday. Kaptur is right to be worried about political extremism, which can lead to political violence. Although authorities have been mostly mum on Boelter's motives, The Associated Press and other outlets have reported that his politics skewed conservative and he was deeply opposed to abortion access. This is hardly the first time in recent years that someone has turned to violence to address political differences. Last year, a would-be assassin opened fire on Donald Trump as he campaigned to return to the presidency in Butler, Penn. Trump escaped with a minor injury to his ear, but a rallygoer was killed and two others were injured. Law enforcement shot and killed the gunman. A few months later, a would-be gunman was thwarted in a second assassination attempt outside Trump's Florida golf club. The gunman fled after the Secret Service fired on him. He was soon captured. In addition there were the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in 2022, and the shooting of U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., and three others as lawmakers were practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game in 2017. Both Paul Pelosi and Scalise were wounded but survived. Political violence is not confined solely to attacks on individuals or small groups. On Aug. 12, 2017, a white supremacist from Ohio drove into a peaceful crowd that was protesting the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. One person was killed and 35 others were injured. On Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of Trump's fictional claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him stormed the U.S. Capitol. Police officers were brutally attacked, the Capitol was vandalized, and then-Vice President Mike Pence was threatened with hanging. Upon his return to office earlier this year, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of those charged in the attack. Some Republicans have excused even the most violent rioters as patriots undeserving of facing the consequences of their actions. And, yes, some Democrats have excused violence from their side, such as when some protests turned violent in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Some of the protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles also got out of hand. (Unfortunately, Trump escalated that situation by deploying the National Guard and the Marines to LA even though local authorities said that was unnecessary.) People have the right to protest, but when those protests turn violent, that violence should be condemned. All of which is to say that political violence has become commonplace these days, much like mass shootings in schools. Everyone knows school shootings and politically motivated attacks are going to happen. It's just a question of when, where and how horrifying the next attack will be. Unfortunately, too many Americans seem to believe political violence is acceptable. As we've noted before, a PBS Newshour/NPR/Marist poll released last year found that 20 percent of those polled either agreed or strongly agreed when asked, "Do Americans have to resort to violence to get the country back on track?" That belief wasn't confined to one party. The poll found that 28 percent of Republicans, 18 percent of independents and 12 percent of Democrats answered the question in the affirmative. The demonization of political opponents in our deeply polarized age has no doubt played a role in the frightening level of acceptance of violence as a means of addressing political disputes. In the aftermath of horrific events such as Saturday's shootings, there are rightly calls to lower the political temperature. We echo those calls again today but fear they will go unheeded. Yes, the violent rhetoric might ease for a time, but it always seems to creep back. The feverish anger that has infected the American body politic shows no signs of breaking. We've seen the consequences, and no one is immune.