Thinking Public Health: A reflection on violence in the current moment

In this session of Thinking Public Health, we will reflect on the recent political violence. Our discussion will consider the broader forces that drive individuals and groups toward violence, the specific role of firearms in escalating conflict, and how health — as a shared value and collective good — can serve as a bridge to unite communities, defuse tensions, and imagine alternatives to violence.

To help ground the discussion:

• After Charlie Kirk’s killing, an expert in political violence explains how to stop it
• Public health framing of firearm violence on local television news in Philadelphia, PA, USA: a quantitative content analysis
• The Rise of Political Violence in the United States
• Firearm Ownership and Support for Political Violence in the United States