📢 Political Violence Is a Threat to Us All (Part 1)
🗽A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny. Throughout history, Americans have faced corruption, injustice, and authoritarian overreach. And every time, we fought back.
Friends, political violence thrives on one poisonous lie: that ordinary people are powerless.
The armed few want us to believe that democracy is fragile, that only force can shape the future, and that our voices are meaningless against their weapons.
Power to the people is not a slogan; it is the operating system of a free society.
The Constitution provides the framework; people provide the power.
The violent few want a country where rights are granted by fear.
America is standing at a dangerous crossroads.
Political violence is no longer a distant headline—it is here, it is rising, and it threatens every freedom we hold dear. From the chant of "Hang Mike Pence!" on January 6th and the attack of a violent mob on the U.S. Capitol 123, to the massacre of Latino shoppers in El Paso (2019)4, the slaughter of Black neighbors in Buffalo (2022)5, the antisemitic killings at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue (2018)6, the car attack that murdered Heather Heyer in Charlottesville (2017)7, the hammer assault on Paul Pelosi (2022)8, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump (2024)9, and the most recent killing of Charlie Kirk (2025)10, extremists believe they can intimidate a nation into silence.
These attacks are not random; they are calculated acts meant to terrorize our communities, weaken democracy, and normalize the use of force to settle our political disputes.
Listen, if you've been reading me for a while, you know I'm no fan of President Trump or his Republican allies in Congress. But let me be loud and clear: I would never wish harm on any of them.
Our differences must be settled at the ballot box, through the law, and through people-powered advocacy. Progress grows from persuasion and action, not from hurting those with different views.
Anything less is an attack on something I hold sacred, the very foundation of democracy itself—the freedom to debate, dissent, and resolve our conflicts peacefully.
Our founders understood the dangers of mob rule and authoritarian crackdowns. That's why the U.S. Constitution built guardrails to protect the people even before the Bill of Rights.
It prohibits bills of attainder so that no government can punish you without a fair trial.
It bans ex post facto laws, ensuring you can't be prosecuted for something that wasn't a crime when you acted.
It guarantees the right to habeas corpus, meaning no one can be imprisoned without cause.
These aren't dusty historical footnotes—they are living protections designed to keep power in the hands of the people and out of the grip of tyrants.
Yet today, those safeguards are under siege. Politicians wink at armed intimidation. Conspiracy theories spread like wildfire, encouraging followers to see violence as patriotic. Online platforms amplify hate, while extremists test the limits of our collective resolve. Every time a public official receives a death threat, every time a voter is harassed at the polls, every time a someone is gunned down due to ideology, the message is the same: Be afraid. Stay silent. Let fear decide.
We must answer with the opposite message: Be brave. Speak out. Show Up. Organize for peaceful solutions to resolving our differences.
The Constitution's protections are not self-executing. They depend on us—neighbors, workers, students, parents—to defend them with our voices and actions. When we speak out, show up, build power, and when we teach the truth about our rights and freedoms, we strengthen the very democracy extremists are trying to destroy.
Today, we are kicking off a 5-part series, a call to peace over political violence—a nonviolent, people-powered kind. Over the next four days, we'll explore how political violence threatens specific constitutional freedoms, from the First Amendment's guarantee of speech and assembly to the Fourteenth Amendment's promise of equal protection. We'll examine the growing assault on voting rights, the danger to due process, and the power we still hold to champion peace.
Political violence seeks to privatize fear; but our task as People Power United members is to socialize courage.
Today’s Call to Action
Click here to Unequivocally Denounce All Political Violence
Click here to Tell Congress: Invest In Climate Resilience and Clean Energy
Click here to Tell Trump and Rubio: Make Sure Baby Formula Reaches Gaza
On October 18th, we rise together. From coast to coast, millions will send one message loud and clear: No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. This is more than a slogan—it’s a declaration of defiance and a promise to defend democracy. When Trump sends troops to silence dissent, threatens to erase our votes, or bargains away our lives for his billionaire donors, we will not be silent. We will not surrender our future. Power belongs to the people.
Find an event near you by clicking here. Don’t see your city? Check back soon—new events are added all the time. Or click here to sign up and host your own. And for anyone wondering, if your city isn’t listed yet, just keep checking or start your own event today!
A core principle of all No Kings events is nonviolent action. Participants are expected to de-escalate conflicts, act lawfully, and never bring weapons—legal or otherwise.
Thanks for taking action!
People Power United Updates
Our group is growing by leaps and bounds! Folks understand that with love in our hearts ❤️ and hard work, we will reclaim our nation from cruelty, chaos, and confusion. In case you missed it, this past week was busy:
In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been making updates to the website. My deepest apologies if you recently landed on a page with a broken link. We’re working hard to catch up with all the changes—thank you so much for your patience!
✨ Together we can inspire change!
People Power United is a grassroots group with members in all 50 states-powered by people like YOU. We champion progress and power to the people.
We believe in change because we make change happen.
Here’s what makes us special:
💡 Grassroots energy: No fundraising, no constant emails asking for donations.
📢 Impact through action: We believe in the possibility of change and do the work to make it happen. We don’t just complain, we make change happen!
In this community, we will never stay silent in the face of hate or bigotry. We stand up and speak out against racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, elitism, transphobia, misogynoir, and every form of discrimination that seeks to divide and harm.
We believe:
Everyone deserves dignity —with access to housing, healthcare, and education.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive — regardless of age, race, sex, sexual preference, preferred pronouns, religion, or employment status.
Everyone deserves safety—clean air and water, and communities free from gun violence.
The power is in your hands. Let’s champion freedom over fascism—because our future depends on it.
FYI
Please note that when People Power United uses the word “fight” in writing, online, or in speech, we mean to advocate fiercely, never to incite or support violence. We do not condone violence in any form, nor do we promote breaking the law.
Our work is rooted in peaceful advocacy through exercising our constitutional rights: voting, free speech, peaceful assembly, rallies, protests, and acts of civil disobedience. We use these tools to defend our rights, freedoms, the rule of law, and our democracy. And together, we will win.
Join us to build People Power! Together, we can champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people's will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests), People Power United
People Power United is a group of community members that champions progress and power for the people.
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https://www.c-span.org/liveEvent/?January6
https://january6th-benniethompson.house.gov/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/el-paso-walmart-mass-shooter-patrick-crusius-sentenced-90-consecutive-rcna92150
https://www.detroitpbs.org/news-media/american-black-journal/racially-motivated-buffalo-grocery-store-shooting-kills-10-injures-three/
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/commemorating-the-11-lives-taken-five-years-ago-in-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlottesville_car_attack
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/28/paul-pelosi-attack-san-francisco/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/13/trump-assassination-attempt-secret-service-report
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-shooting-charlie-kirk-event-utah-rcna230437
I am for the people power but tell me where the guardrails are today? The truth is: there are none. Trump and his regime are changing the laws as they see fit. Restricting our freedom of speech, especially if it's against Trump, restricting our right to protest-with the threat of arrest, and the list goes on. The guardrails that were once there to protect all of us, are now gone. Innocent people are getting rounded up and thrown into detention centers in the US. It doesn't feel like we have much people power left-communicating to your House or Senate member is a waste, especially if they happen to be Republican, because they enabling Trump at every turn. Just a very scared and concerned PPU volunteer. Ron Purnell
I’m for the people power all the way they don’t know how loud we can all be!👩❤️💋👩💏👩❤️💋👨