Poll Shows Generational Views on Political Violence and Speech

A new poll from the Young America’s Foundation has highlighted a significant generational divide on issues of political violence and ideological alignment. The survey, which was released on Tuesday, captured the opinions of 1,021 registered voters aged 18 to 29 across the country.

In the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10, participants were prompted to answer whether they believed there is any justification for killing someone based on their viewpoint. Interestingly, 70% of respondents affirmed that there is no justification for such violence. Among conservatives, that number reached 90%, while 75% of moderates agreed. However, a notable 42% of self-identified liberals indicated that Kirk’s perspective could have prompted this violence.

What’s perhaps more alarming is that 30% of young voters expressed that, in certain circumstances, violence might be justified to silence speech they disagree with.

Moreover, when asked about the presence of conservative voices in public discourse, 53% of young liberals believed conservative opinions should be suppressed. This highlights a deeper issue—only 49% of all surveyed were in favor of allowing conservative views to be publicly expressed. The majority stance against these views appears to stem from concerns over social improvement, as merely 75% of conservatives felt their perspectives were adequately represented without being blocked.

While young liberals seem to endorse censorship, it emerges that many across the board are not wholly supportive of free speech. According to YAF spokesperson Spencer Brown, less than half of young voters believe that negative remarks about race or glorifications of violence should be protected speech, with 42% and 48% respectively. Furthermore, about 60% thought such comments should be reported to employers.

Interestingly, other recent polling has echoed this sentiment, indicating an inclination towards violence among some left-leaning individuals. For instance, a Marist poll found that 28% of Democrats agreed with the idea that violence might be necessary to correct the country’s course. In yet another survey, conducted by Rutgers University, over half of respondents identifying as center-left deemed the assassination of Donald Trump as somewhat justified.

This overall trend seems to reflect a desire for accountability among those who diverge from shared ideology. During the pandemic, it was apparent that 45% of Democrats supported the notion that citizens could be temporarily housed in designated areas if they refused a COVID-19 vaccine.