Leaders play a critical role in eliminating political violence. However, it isn’t enough to condemn the violence, although that is certainly the first step. Leaders must go further and say that we, as a country, can solve our differences without resorting to violence. And — this is the key part — then they need to model doing just that with someone they disagree with. Otherwise, these are all just empty words.
With the killing of Charlie Kirk, the murder of Representative Melissa Hortman and the arson at Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence, among others, leaders need to ramp up what experts say works to eliminate political violence:
Step 1: Condemn violence in all its forms. Call for everyone to stand against monstrous acts.
Step 2: Reinforce that we can solve our differences without resorting to violence. Name specific ways to do this — not just vague platitudes.
Step 3: Model what discourse looks like with people who see the world differently. This is where leaders walk their talk and people who look to them for direction see what the correct behavior is when mad or unhappy.
If leaders were playing the role that we as a country needed them to, we’d see them follow the path noted above. Instead, we are seeing divergence in a number of ways that are not helpful and could increase — rather than minimize — political violence.
Some leaders are calling for retribution rather than standing together against these monstrous acts. People look to leaders to know what the right behavior is. If leaders encourage people to harm others, individuals may follow that direction. That can include online and real-life actions.
Few leaders are saying we can solve our differences without resorting to violence, and the media coverage is only escalating conflict. The media is hyping up the angle of people looking for retribution. This is not a balanced view — most Americans across ideologies and backgrounds are unsettled by what is happening. And if this doesn’t stop, over time it will skew people’s worldview of what is actually happening.
Additionally, rather than focusing energy on resolving conflict with discourse, leaders are instead turning up the temperature by calling out each other and making things worse. This only amplifies calls for retribution. While tempting to do so, it normalizes that behavior for people who look up to those leaders. Instead, we need more leaders offering a different way forward, reminding people that this is the way to less political violence, which the majority of people want.
Step 3 is the one that leaders need to double down on now. If we don’t want people to think that retribution, baseless attacks and finger-pointing are the answers, then leaders need to SHOW people what the answer is. Here, words are not enough. People need to see leaders doing what they say is important to do. If what people see leaders doing is engaging in the same tit-for-tat, then we as a people are in a cul-de-sac of despair — not a viable path out of the political violence spiral.
In addition to these steps, this is a critical narrative-shaping moment. Quickly, as a society, we will move through deciding what happened (and therefore who is responsible and what the problem is to solve), what now (how we solve the problem) and what next (what we need to do so this doesn’t happen again). If the wrong analysis catches in people’s psyche (e.g., the “radical left” is to blame and we need to clamp down on free speech from anyone who dares disagree), then we are creating the conditions for more violence, not less. If we get into an analysis that each side only pays attention when the other side is to blame, then we risk society declaring a plague on both houses and disengaging from solving the real problem. Getting this narrative right that we are all on the same side on this one is critical.
There will be tension for leaders who stand in these stiff headwinds, modeling the behavior experts tell us turns the tide on political violence. We need strong words and actions to cement the narrative we need to dominate in the wake of tragic political violence. But without leaders showing the way, people will get lost.