Younger Americans less concerned about political violence and free speech threats: AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON AP In the tumultuous political surroundings marked by this year s assassinations of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah and a Democratic legislator in Minnesota younger adults are less worried about political violence than older adults according to a new AP-NORC poll About in U S adults are concerned about political violence directed at conservatives or liberals the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Society Affairs Research exposed but anxiety about violence on either side of the political spectrum is lower among young adults There s also a substantial partisan divide with Republicans and Democrats expressing high concern about violence against their own side and fewer saying they re worried about violence against the other side When it comes to fundamental rights U S adults are majority of likely to say that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are facing a major threat Fewer Americans see threats to the right to vote and the right to bear arms I worry because anytime political violence happens it seems like it can be a snowball effect disclosed Ryan Striker a -year-old music trainer in Manchester New Hampshire who is liberal but politically independent and opposes President Donald Trump In June state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot to death in their home and state Sen John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in what the Justice Department called the shooter s calculated plan to inflict fear and violence upon Minnesota elected leaders and their families Kirk was shot dead in September while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University in what officials also called an act of political violence Younger adults are less worried about vi olence free speech threats The poll identified that of U S adults are extremely or very concerned about political violence directed at conservative political figures or organizations A similar percentage are concerned about violence directed at liberal figures and groups There s a large divide among generations however About half of adults age and older are highly concerned about political violence directed at conservatives or liberals compared with about in adults under I remember Kent State I was around then noted Tony DiGiovine a -year-old musician and retired electrical engineer from Phoenix and a Democrat The National Guard really isn t trained to patrol our streets Neither are our armed forces Something s going to go wrong The National Guard shot and killed unarmed students who were protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University in There s a similar generational pattern when it comes to concern about limitations on liberals and conservatives free speech About in U S adults overall are extremely or very concerned about threats to conservatives or liberals free speech But among adults ages and older about half are highly concerned about threats to conservatives free speech while only about one-quarter of adults under say the same There s a smaller but still substantial gap for liberals Fundamental rights seen as threatened Demanded whether various fundamental rights were under threat the poll detected about half of U S adults see a major threat to freedom of speech and about in say the same about the freedom of the press Fewer about in say there are vital threats to the right to vote and the right to keep and bear arms There was no age divide among Americans who see a major threat to free speech The finding suggests that younger adults do think freedom of speech is threatened but they re less personally concerned about how it could affect liberals or conservatives than older adults It s concerning that we seem to be getting to the point where we stop talking we stop compromising and people vilify their opponents reported Craig Tenhoff an independent of Simi Valley California Only about in adults under say the right to vote faces a major threat compared with about in adults ages and older Republicans worry about violence against conservatives Democrats worry about it against liberals U S adults who identify with a party are more likely to be worried about violence against organizations or figures that share their ideology while greater part independents are not highly concerned about political violence in general About in Republicans are extremely or very concerned about political violence directed at conservative political figures or organizations while only are highly concerned about political violence directed at liberal political figures or organizations On the other hand about in Democrats are extremely or very concerned about political violence directed at liberal political figures and organizations while are highly concerned about political violence directed at conservatives These findings are particularly pronounced among people at extreme ends of the political spectrum Conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are much likelier to be concerned about violence directed at their side than more moderate members of their coalition About one-quarter of independents are extremely or very concerned about political violence directed at conservatives or liberals Max Anderson an independent who describes himself as liberal disclosed he s concerned about violence from across the political spectrum I think a lot of people my age aren t generally doing good right now reported Anderson a -year-old college aspirant in Fort Collins Colorado So I think all of a sudden those more extreme avenues of action just feel like a better option There are major partisan divides about the extent to which freedom of speech freedom of the press and the right to vote are at the moment threatened About two-thirds of Democrats say freedom of speech and freedom of the press are facing a major threat while only about in of Republicans say this about freedom of speech and about in say this about freedom of the press Jeff Milligan a -year-old Republican from Logan Ohio revealed he s more concerned about violence directed at conservatives than liberals Milligan used to be more worried about threats to fundamental rights than he is now What changed for him President Trump was elected he noted This story has been corrected to reflect that one Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota was assassinated not multiple lawmakers Cooper revealed from Phoenix The AP-NORC poll of adults was conducted Oct - using a sample drawn from NORC s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel which is designed to be representative of the U S population The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus percentage points Source