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The Violence Undercurrent: A Persistent Threat to the United States

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The United States has a history of violent episodes and attempts on the lives of its leaders, with at least a plot on the lives of 11 of the last 12 presidents. The country's deep divisions and ease of access to firearms contribute to this problem, making it a "big country of violent people" as described by David Dayen. The recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump is just the latest example in a long line of violent incidents, including the attempts on the lives of Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy, and others.

Key Takeaways:

  • The United States has a long history of violent episodes and attempts on the lives of its leaders, with at least 11 of the last 12 presidents experiencing such attempts.
  • The country's deep divisions and ease of access to firearms contribute to this problem, making it a "big country of violent people."
  • The recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump is just the latest example in a long line of violent incidents.
  • The country's response to these incidents has been consistent, with little change in views on firearms ownership despite repeated attempts on the lives of leaders.
  • The National Institute of Justice reports that there have been constant attacks on the presidency, most by firearm, for 60 years.
  • The country has had 261 mass shootings with four or more casualties in the first half of the year, down from 340 last year.
  • Despite these incidents, the country continues to have a polarized political environment, with little change in the views of leaders on firearms ownership.
  • The author suggests that intimidating people into silence is a path to criminalizing dissent, and therefore, should not be pursued.

Statistics:

  • 11 of the last 12 presidents have experienced attempts on their lives (Source: https://prospect.org/topics/david-dayen/)
  • 261 mass shootings with four or more casualties in the first half of the year (Source: https://axios.com/2024/07/13/us-2024-mass-shooting-gun-violence-data)
  • 340 mass shootings with four or more casualties last year (Source: https://axios.com/2024/07/13/us-2024-mass-shooting-gun-violence-data)
  • 4,000 Massachusetts rebels attempted to take over the Springfield Armory during the Articles of Confederation (Source: Break It Up by Richard Kreitner)
  • 12 years after Reagan was shot, the Brady bill failed to pass during Reagan's tenure (Source: Axios)
  • 20 of the 46 men to hold the office of president have been targets of assassination attempts (Source: https://prospect.org/topics/david-dayen/)

Sources:

  • Break It Up by Richard Kreitner (https://books.google.com/books/about/Break_It_Up.html?id=SOusDwAAQBAJ)
  • David Dayen (https://prospect.org/topics/david-dayen/)
  • Axios (https://axios.com/2024/07/13/us-2024-mass-shooting-gun-violence-data)
  • National Institute of Justice (https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/conservative-just-liberal-who-has-been-mugged-exploring-origins)

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