In times like these, political violence feels less like a shock and more like the result of a deeply divided country. Following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Empire Posts asks “Has it always been this way?” Join us on a journey through history to uncover whether the divisions we see today are something new, or simply the latest chapter in a long, fractured story of politics.
Political violence didn’t begin with the United States it existed long before the U.S. Across history and continents, people have been persecuted, imprisoned, and killed for their beliefs, both political and religious.
In the Middle East, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ stands as one of the earliest known examples of politically charged violence. But long before him, dissenters were already facing death for challenging rulers or dominant ideologies. The region remains a hotspot today, with political violence still unfolding,most notably in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In Europe, political violence stretches back to ancient times. The Greek city-states, like Athens and Sparta, saw frequent assassinations and coups as early as the 5th century BCE. The murder of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE remains one of history’s most famous political assassinations. Centuries later, Marie Antoinette’s execution during the French Revolution served as another dramatic example of power turned deadly.
In Asia, authoritarian regimes like those in North Korea and historically in China have used political violence to silence opposition. In Japan, the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 shocked the world. In South America, Ecuador saw presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated in 2023, just days before the country’s special election.
History is filled with examples, but what about here at home?
From the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy, to the killings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in the 1960s, political violence has long haunted America. More recently, the murder of Minnesota state lawmakers earlier this year and the killing of activist Charlie Kirk show it hasn’t gone away, it may be accelerating.
In the last few years alone, we’ve witnessed the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, the January 6 Capitol attack in 2021, and an alarming rise in political rhetoric that paints opponents not just as rivals but as enemies. When public figures label others as Nazis or threats to democracy, it fuels a dangerous mindset, one that convinces unstable individuals they’re doing the world a favor by taking extreme action.
So we return to our original question, and leave you with another
Are we now entering a darker chapter, one where the violence is no longer the exception, but expected?