Threats, violence, and democracy

PoliticsNC is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Transcript:I’m Thomas Mills for PoliticsNC. Today is Sunday, March 16, 2025 and the Republic is still standing, though its very foundation is under assault.In North Carolina, Jefferson Griffin and the Republican Party are attacking our democracy by trying to throw out the votes of more than 60,000 North Carolinians who cast their ballots in November.This week, Griffin’s lawyer released a statement saying that his wife suffered a miscarriage. The family blames stress from threats and harassment that have come on social media. Their address has been posted publicly and people are making angry comments on his Facebook page. Griffin says he’s received death threats in the mail and Marshalls for the Supreme Court are investigating the incident.I don’t condone threats or violence. The ballot box is where we should resolve our differences. We have elections to enact a peaceful transfer of power. Democracy is one the greatest accomplishments of our country.And there’s the rub. Jefferson Griffin’s attempt to disenfranchise 60,000 voters is an assault on our democracy. He’s trying to take away the voices of people who were told on election day that their votes were legitimate.When people believe that they no longer have a say in how we are governed, there’s gonna be violence, either by the people out of power or by the people wielding it.The last time we ended democracy in North Carolina was at the turn of the twentieth century. For the next 70 years, we lived under a reign of terror–at least you did if you were Black. It just ended sixty years with a blaze of carbombings, shootings, and riots that marked the integration of our schools.Republicans in North Carolina have effectively ended democracy in legislative and Congressional elections through extreme gerrymandering. Democrats will likely never hold power in the legislature in my lifetime despite having the support of half the state’s population. The GOP will hold lopsided majorities of Congressional seats in rigged districts that eliminate political competition.Griffin’s lawsuit is an attempt at stealing statewide elections where Democrats regularly win. If Republicans can steal a Supreme Court seat, they can also steal a governor’s election or attorneys general election.Voting is the most basic First Amendment right and people who fought hard to earn it in the 20th century aren’t going to surrender it easily in the 21th century. History tells us that authoritatians who restrict access to the ballot box will use violence to protect their power, often with approval courts controlled by Justices elected under the same rigged system.We should condemn threats of violence against Jefferson Griffin or any other elected official. People who make those threats should be held accountable.But Griffin’s lawsuit is a threat to our democracy. If he’s successful, we will be one step closer to the political violence that elections are meant to deter. Get full access to PoliticsNC at www.politicsnc.com/subscribe