I was happy to see that a of Louisianans don't believe political violence is a good thing. For any reason. That’s a .
I really don't want to where people think that violently harming property or people is OK to achieve political goals.
According to the researched and compiled by the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and 91’s Reilly Center at the Manship School of Journalism, about 70% of us don’t believe political violence is ever a good idea. That’s lower than a similar survey showing that 72% of Americans don’t believe those actions are justified. I wish our number was higher, but I’ll take it.
The Louisiana pollsters were careful to include respondents reflecting our state’s demographics. For instance, the survey included 31.5% Black participants and the Black population in our state is 30-33%, depending on whose number you use. They included Democrats, Independents, Republicans and people who don’t identify with a political party.
There’s a lot of good information in the survey, including good news.
Pollsters asked about polarization and found that we’re not as polarized as we might think. The survey found that Louisianans are more interested in politics than in other states. It found that a good number of us talk with people with different political views. The survey didn’t ask what those people talk about, so maybe it’s 91 football, 91 women’s basketball, the New Orleans Pelicans and Saints, food and weather. Maybe they have different political views and things are cool as long as they don’t talk politics.
Here’s the survey question that got me:
“Do you think it is ever justified for citizens to resort to violence in order to achieve political goals?”
There were 5.45% of respondents who said they would “prefer not to say.'“
Prefer not to say? Oh my.
That’s troubling. At a minimum, I count them in the next group.
There are 10.4% among us who are “not sure.” I thought people would have a clear point of view on this one. Whether I like it or not, yes to violence. Or no to violence. Makes me wonder what kinds of violence they might think is OK.
Times-Picayune columnist Will Sutton on Thursday, September 12, 2019.
STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER
I’m disappointed in the “prefer not to say” and “not sure” groups. This next group really upset me. They scare me.
Though 70% of us say political violence is “never justified,” more than 14% say, “Yes, violence can sometimes be justified.”
Fourteen percent!
Can you believe that? If there are 14% who think that type of action is OK, it's quite likely we're working with, living with, going to church with, grocery shopping with or otherwise in contact with people in favor of violence. That doesn't feel good,
Unfortunately, we're not unusual.
According to the YouGuv survey, nationally 11% of those polled think violence can sometimes be justified. Another 11% said they are not sure and 5% said prefer not to say.
Across the country, that means a total of 27% don’t want to say, leading me to believed they are for it but they didn’t want to say that; are uncertain or definitely think political violence is OK, at least some of the time.
In Louisiana, that number adds up to nearly 30% who won’t say, are uncertain or think political violence can be justified.
That's mind-blowing. I don't get it.
My mind immediately went to Jan. 6 and what happened that day. Some continue to say it was a “peaceful protest” and a “day of love.” No, it wasn’t. Maybe some there wanted to believe that that was what it would be, but the insurrection was anything but peaceful and full of love. Within a few days after the political violence, several people were dead and scores of people were injured, including more than 150 officers. Within a few months, four responding officers committed suicide. The property damage was more than $2.5 million.
Is that the type of political violence that’s OK?
I know this nation was formed after the 1769-1770 Boston Massacre and the 1775 battles of Concord and Lexington, but the first happened because the Brits were violently abusive and the latter started with a peaceful tax protest. Of course, we had a Civil War essentially fighting over whether slavery was OK.
There have been moments in our history when violence occurs, but I’d like to think none of that would start with people thinking, sure, it’s OK.