Should We Treat Political Violence as a Public Health Crisis?

"Mark Thompson, a young plumber from Orem, Utah, never imagined he would be affected by political violence. He was just another attendee in the crowd on a September afternoon, listening to a speech from a man he both agreed with and disagreed with. He was standing in line, waiting to ask his question, when the shots started. "Everyone just started running as we ducked and scrambled," he said. "I felt a wave of fear I can't even describe.""

"Months later, that moment still follows him. A slammed door, a car backfiring, a phone dropping-any sudden noise can send his heart racing. "I walked out of the event alive," he said quietly, "but part of me is still there, running away from a murder." The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in September 2025 revealed how routine political violence has become in America, and how easily a rally, a campus event, or a public forum can turn into a scene of chaos and fear."

Political violence in the United States has increased sharply since 2014, driven largely by right-wing extremism and motivated attacks. Mass shootings and targeted killings have transformed rallies, campus events, and public forums into potential scenes of chaos and fear. Survivors report persistent trauma, hypervigilance, and triggers from ordinary sounds after surviving attacks. The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in September 2025 exemplifies how routine such violence has become and how its harms extend beyond immediate physical danger. Experts argue that treating political violence solely as a security problem fails to address long-term mental-health and public-health consequences, requiring broader prevention and care strategies.

Read at The Nation