Adam Weaver

According to an expert on political extremism interviewed by NPR, for murders that can be categorized as committed by domestic political extremists over the past ten years, an overwhelming 74% were committed by right-wing extremists, while only 2% were committed by left-wing extremists.

But the notion that violence runs counter to “American values” is utter nonsense and should be taken to task. The United States was founded on and expanded through the violence of colonial expansionism (“manifest destiny”) and it’s role in the global economic and political order continues to be maintained through the violence of coups, military invasions and war. As Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, an organizer with the 1960’s civil rights group Student Nonviolent …

…th is that in many cases, the gender of our predecessors is the least interesting thing about them. We will serve them better (and in doing so, serve ourselves better) by placing them in their proper historical context and studying how they navigated the political challenges of their day.