Part 5/10:
The dangerous trend is exemplified by instances where rhetoric equates words with violence, or suggests that speech can incite violence. Research from organizations like FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Education) shows that around one-third of college students from both liberal and conservative backgrounds support the use of violence to silence speakers.
This support has increased significantly among conservatives since 2021, reflecting a retaliatory cycle where each side justifies violence against the other as a defensive measure. Liberals had long justified certain forms of violence—for example, protesting or shouting down speakers—so conservatives feel justified in similarly escalating.