By 
The spread of political instability in countries around the world has raised fears about the rise of political violence in democratic societies.
There is a theory that political violence is the kind of thing a democracy is supposed to prevent and, if it occurs, will be remedied through the exercise of the vote, the protection of individual rights by the courts, or civil disobedience.
The examples of Jamaica and the United States dispel this proposition.
JAMAICA
Since the 1980s there has been a long-running feud between elements on the right and left that has often escalated into violence. The violence has now morphed into economic crime fueled by the drug trade in South Florida.
States of emergency have been used by successive governments to combat crime waves because, according to Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang, unless Jamaica becomes a police state, states of emergency are necessary. A police state is one in which excess power is exercised through the power of the police force.
Democracy remains intact, but the costs have been high. Jamaica was listed in a recent report as having the highest homicide rate (including police killings) in the Americas and the Caribbean http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20210131/jamaica- tops-homicides -latin-america-and-the-caribbean.
UNITED STATES
The summer of 2020 saw protests and sporadic violence in several American cities following the police killings of African-Americans George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Some people, including many now protesting in the streets, argue that US policing is incompatible with democratic ideals.
New President Joe Biden settled into a celebration surrounded by a sea of barbed wire and 26,000 heavily armed soldiers. Military soldiers parade through the streets as police officers, SWAT teams execute nightly arrest warrants (particularly in communities of color) while people from these communities are disproportionately absorbed into the world’s largest prison system.
To stop the exacerbation of Trumpism, we have seen internet censorship and media regulation and some on the left are even recommending dramatic new anti-terrorism laws and even policies to deprogram the minds of Trump supporters.
It remains to be seen whether the 2020 demonstrations will resolve long-standing issues of racial injustice or escalate into civil war. Two factors indicate that the trend favors the former:-
First, today’s protesters are more interracial than those of the past, made up of African-Americans, Latinos, and whites, as police target all races with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Second, the geography of violence is different today, as wealthy downtown malls and global chains are under attack and not just low-income neighborhoods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re8jUhGOZu4.
Armed militias, censorship, and acts of police brutality carry associated costs, such as loss of life, property damage, and accelerate further violence. To mitigate these costs, politicians are tempted to invoke emergency powers, but these are necessarily short-term solutions. What is needed are more targeted investments in communities that promote democracy and build community resilience.
Victor Dixon
February 27, 2021