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The American Scourge: Political Violence and the Betrayal of the Constitution
by Fred Gransville
The United States Constitution is not genius because it has a vision of human beings as angels, but because it subjects fallible men and women to law instead of to passion. The republic endures only as long as disputes are resolved by ballots, by arguments, by amendments - and not by bullets, bombs, and mobs.
But history discloses a more profound thread of blacker violence in our nation's history: the consistent use of political violence to repress, terrify, and disrupt. From Dealey Plaza in 1963 to Orum, Utah in 2025, violence has haunted our political life like a ghost, ironizing the promise of nonviolent self-government.
Here is the stark graph of such attacks on freedom. Every episode is not just a tragedy for the families involved but a direct assault on the Constitution itself - to free speech, assembly, petition, equal protection, and the peaceful transfer of power.
A Ledger of Liberty Under Assault
| Date | Event | Location | Deaths / Injuries | Notes / Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 1963 | Assassination of President John F. Kennedy | Dallas, Texas | Deaths: 1; Injuries: Governor John Connally wounded | President Kennedy shot while riding in a motorcade; Warren Commission concluded Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots. |
| Apr 4, 1968 | Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Memphis, Tennessee | Deaths: 1; Injuries: none directly; nationwide unrest (40+ riot-related deaths) | King was shot on the Lorraine Motel balcony; James Earl Ray later convicted. Sparked riots across many U.S. cities. |
| Jun 5, 1968 | Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy | Los Angeles, California | Deaths: 1; Injuries: several campaign staffers wounded | RFK shot at the Ambassador Hotel after a victory speech; Sirhan Sirhan convicted of the murder. |
| May 15, 1972 | Attempted assassination of George Wallace | Laurel, Maryland | Deaths: 0; Injuries: Wallace paralyzed; 3 bystanders wounded | George Wallace (American Independent Party, former Democrat) shot by Arthur Bremer, leaving him paralyzed. |
| Mar 30, 1981 | Attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan | Washington, D.C. | Deaths: 0; Injuries: Reagan, James Brady, Secret Service Tim McCarthy, DC officer Thomas Delahanty | John Hinckley Jr. fired on Reagan outside a hotel; prompted major changes in protection protocols. |
| Apr 19, 1995 | Oklahoma City Bombing | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Deaths: 168; Injuries: ~680–800 | Truck bomb destroyed Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building; deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history. |
| Jan 8, 2011 | Tucson shooting targeting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords | Casas Adobes (Tucson), Arizona | Deaths: 6; Injuries: 13 (including Rep. Giffords) | Constituent meeting shooting. Jared Lee Loughner arrested and later convicted. |
| Jun 17, 2015 | Charleston church massacre | Charleston, South Carolina | Deaths: 9; Injuries: 0 | Dylann Roof attacked Emanuel AME Church during Bible study; racially motivated domestic terrorism. |
| Jun 14, 2017 | Congressional baseball practice shooting (Republican lawmakers targeted) | Alexandria, Virginia | Deaths: 1; Injuries: 4 (including Rep. Steve Scalise) | Shooter James Hodgkinson opened fire; Scalise critically wounded but survived. |
| Nov 5, 2016 | Attempted attack on Donald Trump (campaign rally) | Reno, Nevada | Deaths: 0; Injuries: 0 | Trump rushed off stage by Secret Service during a rally after a threat; no shots fired, suspect subdued with a weapon nearby. |
| 2020 (plots uncovered) | Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot | Michigan | Deaths: 0; Injuries: 0 | Militia members plotted to kidnap Governor Whitmer; disrupted by FBI. Several convicted. |
| Jan 6, 2021 | Attack on U.S. Capitol | Washington, D.C. | Deaths: 5 linked; Injuries: hundreds | Mob stormed Capitol during Electoral College certification; dozens of officers injured. |
| Oct 28, 2022 | Attack on Paul Pelosi (husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi) | San Francisco, California | Deaths: 0; Injuries: Pelosi severely injured | Intruder assaulted Paul Pelosi with a hammer; attacker convicted of attempted kidnapping and assault. |
| Jul 13, 2024 | Attempted assassination of Donald Trump (campaign rally) | Butler, Pennsylvania | Deaths: 1 rally attendee; Injuries: Trump grazed by bullet | Gunman fired on rally; Trump wounded in the ear but survived; attacker killed by Secret Service. |
| Apr 13, 2025 | Arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | Deaths: 0; Injuries: 0 | Governor Shapiro and family escaped unharmed. Suspect with known mental illness charged with attempted murder and arson. |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Targeted shooting of Minnesota lawmakers | Brooklyn Park & Champlin, Minnesota | Deaths: 3; Injuries: 1 | Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and husband killed; Sen. John Hoffman and wife wounded. Suspect impersonated police officer; political motivation suspected. |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Shooting of Charlie Kirk (political activist, Turning Point USA) by Tyler Robinson | Orum, Utah | Deaths: 1; Injuries: Kirk mortally wounded | Charlie Kirk shot at close range outside a speaking event; suspect apprehended; investigation ongoing. |
Tyler Robinson killing Charlie Kirk is Fascism. The irony may be lost on Tyler Robinson, but Tyler is a fascist.
Donald Trump's National Guard Police State is fascism. The irony of the fascism may be lost on Donald, but he is still a fascist.
Reject the fascism of Tyler Robinson and Trump. Use your words and your brains and instincts, just like Charlie Kirk did. Use the skills Charlie Kirk used. Reject gun toters, even the National Guard as political pawns. The rules are so simple. Guns=Fascism, a Fountain Pen and India Ink are Freedom and Democracy. Cllinton, George W. Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden's Auto-Pens aiming Secret Police and National Guard Guns are not Freedom and Democracy.
The American Scourge: Political Violence and the Betrayal of the Constitution
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© Fred Gransville
Tags: Charlie Kirk assassination, assassination and American politics, constitutional principles under attack, constitutionalist perspective on violence, defending democracy against violence, free speech and the Constitution, political violence in America, rule
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