📢 Political Violence Is a Threat to Us All (Part 4)
🗽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, today we continue our deeper dive into how political violence endangers everyone.
When we have a deeper discussion about political violence, we must also examine voting and due process.
The right to vote is the engine of every other freedom. Without it, the First Amendment is a whisper, the courts are a mirage, and government belongs to whoever can seize it by force. That is why political violence so often targets elections—because ballots, not bullets, decide who governs a democracy.
The Constitution defends this right in unmistakable terms.
The Fifteenth Amendment bans racial discrimination in voting.
The Nineteenth Amendment guarantees the vote regardless of sex.
The Twenty-Fourth outlaws poll taxes.
The Twenty-Sixth lowers the voting age to 18.
Together with the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause, these safeguards protect every citizen's access to the ballot.
Yet extremists are testing those protections every day. False claims of "stolen elections" fuel harassment campaigns against secretaries of state and local officials. In some states, lawmakers openly seek to nullify votes they dislike—while violent rhetoric encourages followers to "take back" the country by force and “fight like hell”. Election workers are doxxed and threatened with death. This is not politics as usual. It is an assault on the principle that government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed. When intimidation keeps people from the polls, when a mob storms a Capitol to overturn certified results, when voters must weigh their safety against their civic duty, democracy itself is on the line. Those are more than assaults on our democracy-they are willful acts of political violence. Anyone who enables such vile actions must be held accountable for their actions.
Political violence also seeks to break down our rule of law by getting rid of due process.
Due process means fair procedures, impartial courts, and the right to defend yourself before your freedom can be taken away. It is the antidote to mob rule. Political violence exists to destroy that antidote.
When extremists kill immigrants in El Paso, drive a car into peaceful protesters in Charlottesville, or storm the U.S. Capitol to overturn an election, they are not simply committing crimes—they are declaring that power belongs to whoever wields the most force. History warns us where that road leads. When vigilantes decide who deserves punishment, we see lynchings instead of trials, intimidation instead of debate, chaos instead of democracy. The Constitution's framers knew this danger. That's why they built safeguards—so no government or mob could imprison or punish without a fair process.
But paper promises are not enough. Many of our leaders are looking the other way as due process is trampled upon.
The answer is not despair—it is collective defense of democracy itself.
That means registering every eligible voter, volunteering as poll workers and election observers, and supporting laws that expand access to the ballot—same-day registration, early voting, automatic registration—while resisting every effort to make voting harder or more dangerous. It means demanding funding and security for election offices and courthouses, rejecting calls to pardon political allies who incite violence, and showing up—peacefully but in numbers—when extremists try to intimidate local officials or block access to courts.
Our ancestors fought, marched, and bled for these rights. From Selma to Seneca Falls, from the Freedom Riders to students who register their peers, generations have proven that nonviolent mass action can defeat unjust laws and violent intimidation. Their lesson is clear: we prevent political violence and protect democracy by strengthening our right to vote and defending due process. Every vote is a shield against tyranny, and every election tests our collective courage. Due process is not technical; it is freedom's beating heart. If we let violence replace law, none of us is safe—no matter our politics.
Political violence wants us to be silent. Our response must be action—together, and on our terms. Political violence thrives when people stay home, keep their heads down, and surrender their voices. Democracies rarely fall in one dramatic coup—they wither through millions of quiet surrenders.
The answer is not to retreat but to get louder with organizing and fearless solidarity.
Today’s Call to Action
Click here to Investigate Trump FCC Chair's Role in Kimmel's Suspension
Click here to Tell ABC: Resist Censorship. Don't Let Trump Silence Kimmel
Click here to Tell Congress: Protect our Elections from 2020 Deniers
Click here to Tell Congress to Pass the Billionaires Income Tax
Click here to Unequivocally Denounce All Political Violence
Restacks and comments are appreciated!
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:
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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.
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