Burning Teslas and Bullets Flying: Thoughts on the Rising Violence

All the issues it reveals

As a kid, I remember hearing “Violence is not the answer.” As political violence increases in the U.S., it seems many people missed that day in school.

There were the 2020 BLM riots, the attack by Senator Rand Paul’s neighbor, the Congressional baseball game shooting, the attempts on Donald Trump, and others, I’m sure. In each case, many people publicly cheered on the violence and wished for more bloodshed or more successful attacks.

Then, late last year, Luigi Mangione killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the middle of New York City. In the days since he has become something of a cult hero as a symbol of standing up to greedy businessmen, or something. Comedian Bill Burr quipped, “Free Luigi!” while ranting about dubious corporate practices in multiple video appearances. Last weekend, journalist Taylor Lorenz explained Mangione’s appeal by describing the killer as “a revolutionary, who’s famous, who’s handsome… who’s smart… who seems like a morally good man.”

More recently, acts of vandalism against Tesla aimed as retaliation against Elon Musk’s involvement in President Trump’s administration have become a nationwide issue. Dealerships have seen units vandalized and set on fire. Individuals have had their cars keyed or spray painted with the word “NAZI” and swastikas. Someone even started a website to share the personal information of Tesla owners, promising to only relent once an owner has sold their car. It’s reached the point that the problem has its own FBI task force and there’s a Wikipedia page tracking the incidents.

What is happening here?

In what world is a cold-blooded killer described as “a morally good man?” Who pats himself on the back for scratching up someone else’s car because they don’t like the guy who owns the company that made the car? Is violence just going to be a part of our society now?

Many lessons can be taken from these events, and I’ve chosen a few to zoom in on in this article.

It reveals a parenting problem

I’d like to say this is purely the result of the Gentle Parenting fad of recent years, but some of these assailants are far too old for that. They are parents and even grandparents in their own right.

That just goes to show how many generations we’ve had of not teaching respect for others and that temper tantrums work. Like Israel so many times in the Old Testament, we are multiple generations in to the effects of family decay.

It demonstrates the danger of online echo chambers

Proverbs 13:20 teaches us, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." Thanks to the internet, it has never been easier to be the companion of fools. The kind of extremism that once would have made one a social pariah among their church and neighborhood is celebrated and egged on by rabid internet chats and discussion boards. Eventually someone in the group becomes so radicalized that they go from discussing how cool it would be to shoot a CEO or destroy a Tesla… to actually doing it.

The same phenomena is at play almost every time a teen decides to swap genders or become an atheist or just about any other major life shift away from what their real life network would influence them to do. Whether it’s Reddit, BlueSky, TikTok, or anywhere else online, people are better off with connection and accountability from an in-real-life community. We have to be highly wary of the effects of these echo chambers on our homes, churches, and communities.

It shows the need for good governance

God gave government the sword to punish evildoers and protect the good (Romans 13:4, 1 Peter 2:14). It is good and proper to desire that they would come down strongly against the kinds of violence we’re seeing. As I wrote in Christ’s Co-Rulers (available on Amazon), it is not “putting our faith in princes” (Psalm 146:3) to hope they do what God appointed them to do.

It explains why our nation is divided

In any relationship, there are certain revelations that can instantly change or even end the connection. In this case, when one side finds out the other is willing to call them Nazis, destroy their property, imprison them, and even kill them for having the gall to disagree and push for different ideas, it’s no wonder we’re divided. You can’t “COEXIST” with people who want you dead.

As a brief aside… spare me the both-sidesism.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently survived an arson attempt at the governor’s mansion. In a press conference, he remarked, “This type of violence is not ok! This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And I don't give a —— if it's coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another or one particular person or another, it is not ok. And it has to stop. We have to be better than this."

He’s right that it has to stop—but only one side is inciting violence and cheering on its perpetrators. Though he is a Democrat himself, his arsonist is a socialist who supports BLM. On the rare occasion the violence goes the other way, it is roundly condemned by conservatives.

There are numerous problems with the Republican party, but that doesn’t mean we have to pretend all errors are equal. Violence is almost entirely one-sided right now, and it’s not wrong to acknowledge it.

It shows the inevitability of a national religion

Modern man thought he had cast off religion. Instead, he turned everything he does into the religion of humanism, including political engagement. The “oppressed,” the economy, and globalism are their gods. They are catechized and discipled by the internet and news media. They aim to justify themselves by their “good works” of keying a car or attacking an ideological opponent. They aim to improve the world by ridding it of what they deem “fascists.” When Christianity is not the default religious operating system for a culture, this is what you get.

A year or two ago, one influencer in the churches of Christ wrote that he welcomes the decline of the church’s influence over culture. Many agree with that sentiment and see the decline of cultural Christianity as a positive thing. To that all I’ll say is, be careful what you wish for. Most people have no idea how violent the world can be without Christianity. Survival of the fittest and might makes right will be the new guiding principles.

So, if we’re going to have a national religion, we had better hope and pray it is Christianity.

Many more applications could be made from these troubling stories, and I’d be happy to hear of any you might add in the comments below. But for now, I’ll leave it at these. Pray for changed hearts, pray for good governance, be a peacemaker, and be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

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Notes

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