In the weeks and months preceding this year’s election, incidents of political violence have risen all over the country. Many local voters have expressed concerns about being targeted by members of the opposing party once their political affiliation is revealed.
At a recent townhall meeting, an audience member stated that she was afraid to place Harris/Walz and local candidate signs in her yard for fear of being vandalized, saying her neighbor’s signs had been repeatedly stolen or damaged. The speaker said she feared retribution after the election results – be it by damage to her property or to her person. This concern is being voiced by many local voters. At a citizen rally in Gettysburg, members of the opposing party physically disrupted the gathering with hateful and threatening rhetoric and gestures.
Our community is deeply divided, in part due to divisive and hate-mongering propaganda by some of our leaders. Folks are fearful of retribution for making their political affiliation known in public. They are fearful of what lies ahead for our community once the election results have been tallied, regardless of which of the two presidential candidates wins. Some residents even fear that our area, with its tragic history of Americans fighting each other over causes they believed justified, would once again become a battleground.
Various opinion polls have reported increases in the number of respondents who no longer object to – or even condone – political violence against members of the opposing party.
Since the 2016 elections – when demonization of particular groups of human beings or those with opposing views, and unthinkable conspiracy theories, seemed to become the norm – the sheer volume of disinformation that has been flooding ordinary citizens has led Americans to fight each other over once well-established truths. Political scientist Robert Pape observed that, “since the COVID-19 pandemic, America has witnessed an era of political violence unparalleled since at least the 1960s.”
In response to this alarming trend, the international organization Urban Rural Action (URAction) has partnered with local community organizers, such as Mediation Services of Adams County Inc. (MSAC), to launch the “Uniting to Prevent Political Violence” (UPPV) declaration. “This initiative, focused on Adams and Franklin counties, calls on citizens from all political perspectives to take a stand against violence and promote civil discourse,” says co-organizer Patti Robinson of Gettysburg, board president of MSAC and a well-known local activist advocating for unity and peace in our community.
Robinson says that proactive, community-driven, action is essential for preventing future conflict. It stresses the importance of non-violent solutions to political disagreements and encourages people to commit to resolving their differences through dialogue rather than threats or harm. The “Declaration Rejecting Political Violence,” drafted by the organizers, unites citizens with a simple message: Political violence has no place in our society. Robinson explains that, at its core, the declaration is a commitment to peaceful coexistence, democracy, and the protection of shared values.
Robinson further stresses that the declaration is not a partisan statement, nor does it seek to assign blame or elevate one political group over another. Instead, it calls on every community member, regardless of political affiliation, to unite around the cause of preventing political violence.
The organization approached all local politicians and invited them to sign the declaration. With the exception of two local commissioners who refused to participate, the declaration has been underwritten by politicians and candidates from both major parties in Adams and Franklin counties, as well as almost 200 community residents. The declaration is symbolic to declare, “Not on our watch!”
Studies have shown that South Central PA is a hotbed for trauma and that Pennsylvania has the largest number of dark web hits of any state. Accordingly, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is providing grants in Southcentral PA for anti-violence projects (targeted and political), with the goal of educating and helping residents to build bridges rather than fighting over opposing opinions.
In addition to drafting the declaration, MSAC has also launched a yard sign campaign with signs providing positive, simple messages about the need to communicate in a peaceful exchange, promoting unity and dialogue over division. The signs read: “NO Political Violence; Listen More, Shout Less; Encourage Civil Debate; Facts Not Force,” and more. Many local community members have displayed the signs on their lawns, and have brought them to various rallies downtown. They are often less triggering than the signs for or against the current political candidates.
The Political Violence project will be ongoing through February 2025. Anyone interested in joining the movement can sign the Declaration online: http://www.mediateadams.org/uppv. “The message is clear: Violence, whether verbal, physical, or psychological, is never the solution. Let’s unite to prevent political violence; our future depends on it.”
Looking ahead at the weeks and months following the election results, this movement will be instrumental in keeping our local community safe from political violence and promoting a more united society: “Each one of us can take an active role in advancing peace and understanding within our communities,” said Robinson.
Mediation Services of Adams County Inc. (MSAC) is a community mediation center dedicated to helping the community communicate better. The locally based organization in Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania, is composed of highly trained volunteer mediators who provide conflict resolution services for individuals and groups in the South-Central PA area, as well as providing training in mediation and negotiation skills.
Donate Gardner is a freelance journalist who came to Gettysburg in 2021 from Montgomery County, Maryland.
A former linguist-turned-legal professional, Donate recently retired from the corporate world and is eager to support her new community in a variety of ways. She currently serves as the news communicator for the Adams County migrant outreach program, Pasa La Voz.
As an immigrant born, raised, and educated in Germany, Donate still maintains a strong connection to the German language as a writer and translator. Donate is an active musician and has made her new home in Gettysburg available to host house concerts for traveling musicians and local artists in need of support. Donate and her husband have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Thank you Donate and Gettysburg Connection!