When persuasion stops and violence begins, that’s the line between ‘legitimate political discourse’ and something very different, scholars explain.AP Photo/John Minchillo Jennifer Mercieca, Texas A&M University and Timothy J. Shaffer, Kansas State University When the governing body of the Republican Party called the events of Jan. 6, 2021, “legitimate public discourse,” it renewed a sometimes-furious debate about what are, and aren’t, acceptable forms of discussion and debate in a democratic society. This question has emerged frequently in recent years, with complaints about inappropriate meth…
