A chilling new study released by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has uncovered a dangerous and escalating trend: the normalization — and even glamorization — of political violence, particularly from voices on the left.

Dubbed “assassination culture” by NCRI researchers, this phenomenon reflects a growing online movement in which the idea of politically motivated murder is not only tolerated but celebrated. The report cites the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as a disturbing flashpoint, after which his alleged killer, Luigi Mangione, was transformed into a folk hero on social media.

This isn’t happening in the shadows. The NCRI identified mainstream progressive platforms like BlueSky as hubs for this dangerous ideology, where public figures — most notably former President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk — are frequently portrayed as deserving targets of violence. Memes, viral posts, and online discussions glamorize the idea of retribution against perceived oppressors, and the line between hyperbole and real-world threat continues to blur.

The numbers are staggering. According to NCRI’s survey, 38% of U.S. adults considered the assassination of Trump at least “somewhat justified.” Among left-leaning respondents, that figure climbed to an alarming 55%.

Let that sink in: more than half of left-leaning Americans surveyed believed that political murder — in a democracy — could be justified.

The implications are dire. When violence becomes a meme, a joke, or a moral crusade, it doesn’t stay online. The NCRI’s warning is clear: this isn’t fringe anymore. The boundaries of political discourse are dissolving, and with them, the social contract that keeps our democracy intact.

This rise in “assassination culture” doesn’t just threaten public figures — it erodes the foundation of civil society. Once violence is normalized in the pursuit of political goals, every citizen becomes a potential target, and every disagreement becomes a potential battlefield.

It’s time to reassert moral clarity. Condemning political violence should be a universal standard, not a partisan stance. Whether it comes from the left, the right, or anywhere in between, the use of violence as a tool for political change must be unequivocally rejected.

We are at a crossroads. If we continue to tolerate — or worse, encourage — this kind of rhetoric, we risk waking up in a country where bullets speak louder than ballots.

Chris O'Neil - Trash Media Group © 2025

HENRY RAY CARTER (42) 535 EMERSON ST. APT# 1 - Carter is charged with Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree. Reports state Carter did intentionally damage the door of victim, Sheena Covell's, with a fire extinguisher. He was transported to PSB, where he was processed and held for arraignment.

JOSHUA BUSTAMANTE CAILER (22) 20358 BAGRAM RD APT.# 105A - Cailer was pulled over on the 100 block of Arsenal St by city police and charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Failure to Obey Traffic Signals, & Aggravated DWI. He was transported to PSB, where he was released with appearance tickets for city court.

BRANDON DONALD HARTNER (28) 226 W MAIN ST. - Hartner was arrested at his residence on a Executive Bench Warrant out of city court. He was transported to PSB where he was held pending arraignment.

CHELCIE CHRISTINE STILLWELL (33) 24437 STATE ROUTE 283 - Stillwell was stopped by city police on the 700 block of Coffeen St. and charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation & Using a Mobile Phone While Driving. She was processed on scene and released with two appearance tickets for city court.

Sackets Harbor, N.Y. -- Recent events in Sackets Harbor, New York, have sparked controversy and debate over an ICE operation that led to the detention of a mother and her three children. Governor Kathy Hochul and various advocacy groups have criticized the detentions, claiming that ICE acted without a judicial warrant. However, newly emerging details suggest that the presence of federal agents at the location may have been tied to a far more alarming case—one involving the arrest of a South African national accused of distributing child pornography.

On March 28, 2025, 43-year-old Marcel M. Meyer, a South African citizen residing in Sackets Harbor, was arraigned on federal charges for allegedly disseminating child pornography. Court records indicate that Meyer had been engaging with an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old and was found to have distributed explicit material through a social networking application. His arrest, executed by federal authorities, took place in the same time frame and in the same small community where ICE detained several undocumented immigrants, including the mother and her children.

While initial reports framed the ICE detentions as part of a broader immigration enforcement action, there is growing evidence that agents were actually on-site executing a warrant for Meyer when they encountered the undocumented individuals. The location, North Harbor Dairy, located at 14471 County Route 145, Sackets Harbor, NY, is a prominent dairy farm in the area. The Robbins family, owners of North Harbor Dairy, also operate Old McDonald's Farm, a local family tourist attraction. If true, this raises serious concerns about the potential risk to the children who were present at the time.

Under federal law, exigent circumstances allow law enforcement to act without a warrant when there is an immediate threat to life or safety. If ICE agents discovered children at the property while arresting a suspect involved in child exploitation, they would have had every legal reason to detain the mother and children in question—not as a routine immigration enforcement action, but as a protective measure. In such a scenario, the detentions would not be a violation of rights but rather a precautionary move to ensure the children were not in danger.

Despite the serious implications of this potential link, media coverage has largely framed the ICE detentions as an overreach of immigration enforcement rather than as part of a broader operation involving child exploitation. This lack of connection in reporting may be due to the compartmentalization of federal investigations—ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) often operate separately, even when their cases overlap. Rather than helping provide more transparency,  many local media outlets have taken to highlighting individuals like Murad Awawdeh, of the New York Immigration Coalition, a state group that fights for immigration rights.

“We are supposed to live in a nation of laws, but while this family was correctly navigating the immigration system and attending their immigration court hearings, they were instead taken by ICE agents and sent thousands of miles away from their home and community. Everyone in America has the right to due process, but Donald Trump, Tom Homan, and ICE are now acting fully outside of the law. We demand their immediate release,” said Awawdeh. Additionally, political narratives surrounding immigration enforcement seem to have been overshadowed what some say is the more pressing emotional matter of child safety in this instance. The Jefferson County Democratic Committee taking the opportunity to release a statement encouraging comminity members to attend a rally planned Saturday, April 5th in Sackets Harbor at the visitor center for an apparent parade around the streets of the village for .6 miles and returning to the point of origin.

The fact remains, if federal agents were indeed acting under exigent circumstances due to a child exploitation case, the public deserves full transparency. Local authorities and ICE should clarify whether the presence of undocumented individuals at the scene was incidental or if there was an identifiable risk factor that prompted their detention. Without these details, the debate will continue to be shaped by incomplete narratives.

The situation in Sackets Harbor is far more complex than it initially appeared. While concerns over immigration enforcement are valid, it is equally important to recognize the potential child safety concerns that may have influenced ICE’s actions. As more details emerge, it is crucial to focus not just on political rhetoric but on the well-being of the most vulnerable individuals—children who may have been unknowingly exposed to a dangerous situation.

The question remains: Will federal agencies step forward to clarify the true nature of what was discovered during this operation? Until they do, the public must remain vigilant in seeking the full story behind these events, while remaining mindful not to become politically or emotionally charged by others using the situation as an opportunity to sew dissonance among the local population.