It’s unsurprising that mainstream narratives in response to the shooting at Trump’s rally have been centered on condemnation of “political violence,” when they only mean violence against politicians. Intentionally excluded from this discourse are the most egregious forms of political violence being carried out by both parties, through the apparatus of American imperialism. The real political violence is both the state-sanctioned murders carried out in the name of profit—and that these wars are being fought with our resources, but without our consent. Real power has never been won at a ballot box alone, but is the result of sustained, principled resistance demanding structural change. We are not helpless victims of the state, but expert survivors with resources that can be pooled together to counter death and destruction.”The legislated gaslighting around what is and what is not political violence can no longer be accepted.