Shock waves rippled across the nation when news broke that a Minnesota lawmaker had been killed and another wounded in an apparent act of political violence. No matter how toxic our political rhetoric, we assume that actual violence has no part in our politics. But according to New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie, such acts of violence are woven into our country’s history.
“The truth is that political violence, both small scale and large scale, has been a hugely important part of the shaping of the United States,” he told me. What’s striking is that Bouie made those comments three years ago during a visit to Madison – not in response to a particular outbreak of political violence but rather when pointing to the hidden undercurrents of American history. As Bouie sees it, assassinations and violent protests don’t exist outside our electoral politics; they help shape it.
What’s distinctive about Bouie’s journalism is how he draws on forgotten episodes in American history to provide a deeper context for understanding today’s news. It’s almost like he’s a journalist masquerading as a public historian. When writing about current debates about deporting immigrants, Bouie refers to the long history of debates about the writ of habeas corpus. When commenting on President Trump’s embrace of authoritarianism, he quotes the Founding Fathers at the 1787 constitutional convention in Philadelphia.
It’s easy to feel like today’s politics have no precedent. That’s a mistake. It’s why historians – and historically-astute journalists like Jamelle Bouie – are so important. And it’s why we produced this week’s show, “How should we tell our history?” History, with all its messy twists and turns, helps us make sense of current events. And for me, at least, it also offers some solace.
– Steve