#1526 A History of Political Violence in the US
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 16 November 2022
⏱️ 74 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 11/15/2022
Today, we take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the Revolution, through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the Militia Movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once-again-radicalized, right-wing movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Capitol Attack Wasn't the 1st Violent Incident in Congress - Inside Edition - Air Date 1-20-22
According to Yale historian Joanne Freeman, “The caning of Charles Sumner, which happened in 1856, is pretty much the most famous violent incident in the US Congress.”
Ch. 2: A history of US political violence Part 1 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22
The Americast team looks at how the attack has led to the sharing of disinformation on social media and Justin and Sarah speak to author Josh Zeitz about the history of political violence in the US.
Right-wing violence isn't just sporadic it is a war against American values. The most startling details on right-wing militias, violence, and Trump are coming from Luke Mogelson, an award-winning war reporter.
Ch. 4: Political Violence Is No Anomaly in American History - System Check - Air Date 1-8-21
Our guest and guide this week is Hasan Kwame Jeffries, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University. He reminds us that the violence we saw at the Capitol this week is not an anomaly—in fact, political violence is what birthed this nation.
Ch. 5: Today's Republicans were made in the 1990s - The Gray Area with Sean Illing - Air Date 11-7-22
Sean Ililing talks with author Nicole Hemmer, who shows how the GOP became what it is today
An aide to McCarthy said "he was obviously joking" without commenting further.
Ch. 8: Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home - ABC News - Air Date 10-29-22
Officials say the suspect was targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Ch. 9: A history of US political violence Part 2 - Americast - Air Date 11-2-22
Ch. 10: Political Violence - In the Thick - Air Date 11-4-22
“The political violence in our nation’s history is organized and purposeful. It is normalized by rhetoric that justifies it, and often encourages it,” writes Jeremi Suri on the attack on Paul Pelosi, in this piece for Time Magazine.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 12: Not just winning, defeating - V from Central New York
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the bipartisan uses of Rules for Radicals
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Show Image:
Description: A newspaper cartoon/drawing of Senator Sumner being beaten on the floor of the Senate with a cane by Sen. Preston Brooks in 1856.
Credit: “Southern Chivalry - Argument vs. Clubs” by J.L. Magee, 1856 | Public Domain
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of the Left podcast in which we shall |
| 0:06.9 | take a look at our extremely steady history of political violence from the revolution |
| 0:12.5 | through the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, into the Civil Rights era, the militia |
| 0:18.1 | movement and domestic terrorism, and now to our current once again radicalized right-wing |
| 0:23.8 | movement willing to use and tacitly condone violence as a political tactic. |
| 0:29.3 | Clips today are from Inside Edition, America's The Tom Hurtman program, System Check, The |
| 0:35.7 | Grey Area, ABC News and In The Thick with an additional members only clip from The Grey |
| 0:41.9 | Area. |
| 0:42.9 | And while I have your attention, please consider setting your pod catching app to notify |
| 0:47.0 | you when we release new episodes so you don't miss any. |
| 0:56.4 | The January 6th Capitol Assault was not the first violent incident at the U.S. Congress. |
| 1:02.2 | According to Yale historian Joanne Freeman, between 1830 and 1860, there were at least |
| 1:08.2 | 70 violent incidents on the House and Senate floor. |
| 1:12.3 | Guns being pulled, knives being pulled, fist bites, brawls, canings. |
| 1:19.2 | The Canning of Charles Sumner, which happened in 1856, is pretty much the most famous violent |
| 1:25.3 | incident in the U.S. Congress. |
| 1:29.0 | Basically Charles Sumner, who was this very prominent Massachusetts abolitionist senator, |
| 1:34.6 | gave a really aggressive speech about Kansas. |
| 1:38.5 | This was the famous bleeding Kansas moment when they were debating, which Kansas is going |
| 1:42.4 | to be a free state for a slave state. |
| 1:46.4 | Obviously Sumner did not want it to be a slave state, but in the speech that he gave, |
| 1:50.3 | he insulted a number of congressmen, he kind of insulted the South, and one of the |
... |
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