Federalism is the answer to political violence
About a month ago, on the way back to Texas after a week hiking in New Mexico, some friends and I stopped at an isolated convenient store to stretch our legs. On the way inside, I saw a sign above the entrance that read “Obama and other terrorists not allowed!” My friends and I smirked, thought it unlikely that the former president would find his way here, bought some Dr. Pepper from the old storekeeper and got back on the road.
This type of hyperbole is commonplace in politics today. My liberal buddy will tell you that Trump is a Russian stooge, and that the new budget proposal is “literally a killer.” During the election, my family told me Hillary Clinton was evil. Embellishment is, and always has been, commonplace in politics.
Violence on the other hand was once less commonplace. The shooting of Representative Steve Scalise during baseball practice by a deranged progressive is only the most recent iteration of political violence in America. There have been a number of death threats to lawmakers, mob violence against speakers and professors on college campuses, protests that turn violent — all in the past year.