When Politics Turn Violent

Rose State professor discusses political violence and Oklahoma City's tragic place in history

In recent years, the United States has experienced a rise in political violence, including riots, assassination attempts and acts of domestic terrorism that have impacted communities across the country.

Experts say growing political division and inflammatory social media rhetoric have contributed to increased tension and political extremism.

James Davenport, a political science professor at Rose State College, said Oklahoma’s history gives many residents a more personal understanding of political violence because of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

“At the time, the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil,” he said. “It remains, to my knowledge, the largest domestic terrorist attack.”

Davenport said the political motivations behind violence in the United States have changed over time.

“Back in the 1960s, political violence was primarily to the left,” he said.

Today, he said, most political violence in the U.S. comes from the political right, although violent incidents are not limited to one side.

“We’ve seen an uptick in left-wing political violence probably in the last five years or so,” he said. “But it’s much higher on the right wing.”

Davenport said people who commit political violence often believe traditional political systems are no longer working.

“People within society decide that it’s not enough to talk about problems,” he said. “They’re gonna take them into their own hands.”

He said social media can make political division worse by isolating people into groups that already share the same opinions.

“We have so many opportunities for people to connect with other people who think like they do and then to insulate themselves from the rest of the world,” he said.

Although incidents of political violence receive significant attention, Davenport said they are still relatively uncommon in everyday American life.

“Political violence in the United States is not super high,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about walking out on the street or going to a protest and being worried about you’re going to get injured or shot.”

Davenport said political violence has existed throughout history in both democratic and non-democratic societies. 

He pointed to revolutions, civil rights conflicts and government actions against minority groups as examples of how violence and politics have often been connected.

Despite current political tensions, Davenport said most Americans still prefer resolving disagreements through elections, debate and democratic institutions.

“I think most people still believe that democratic process is the best way of resolving differences rather than shooting at each other,” he said.

Davenport said individuals also play a role in reducing political hostility through the way they communicate with others. Something as simple as thinking twice before reposting, when broadly applied, can have a cooling-down effect on the national discourse.

“We have to be in charge of our own rhetoric,” he said. “Do we treat people who disagree with us as enemies rather than co-citizens who just happen to disagree?”