Tempe police arrest a suspect accused of multiple counts of political violence

Tempe police arrested a suspect accused of hanging suspicious bags of white powder on several razor blade-lined political signs in Ahwatukee.

According to the department, the same suspect is accused of three separate shootings against the DNC office in Tempe in recent weeks.

Paul Lenze, a political science professor at NAU, said political violence is nothing new, but it is certainly receiving increasing attention in broadcast media and social media recently.

“Because of the hate that has seeped into our politics over the last 20 years, I think we are seeing more of an us versus them between the different sides. That we have lost the ability to find common ground,” explained Lenze.

The political science professor believes limiting the amount of money allowed in politics would help ordinary Americans feel more valued and heard in the two-party political system.

“They don’t have the feeling that politicians represent their interests. They have the feeling that politicians represent the interests of large corporations,” said Lenze.

Harsh political rhetoric among politicians and a lack of bipartisanship lead to similar problems among American citizens, according to Lenze.

He also believes social media has become a soapbox where people can share their political views, sometimes without knowledge or fact-checking.

The professor shared, “It’s okay to disagree. But investigate this disagreement with facts.”