A photo taken by Paola Pedrizzetti of an 18-year-old university student named Giuseppe Memeo, actively shooting a police officer. This was the first time Memeo had ever held a gun.

CW: This article contains descriptions and information about neo-Nazism, fascism, extremism, murder, violence, and terrorism.

Disclaimer: The author in no way, shape, or form endorses the actions and ideologies presented within this article. This is for educational purposes only, and serves as a warning to the people who may not care about politics, but don’t understand that politics cares about them.

On September 10th, 2025, Charlie Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA, a conservative media organization, was assassinated by an unknown shooter while speaking at Utah Valley University (at the time of writing the shooter has not yet been identified). The following hours and days were filled with much of the political world echoing the same sentiment: “You should not be killed for your political beliefs.” And yet, it still happened. Kirk was unfortunately not the only figure to be a victim of political violence in this past year.

June 14th, 2025, Senator John Hoffman and Representative Melissa Hortman, as well as their significant others, were shot and killed in Minnesota in a politically motivated shooting.

April 13th, 2025, Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania was attacked by arsonists, who set his and his family’s residence on fire in the dead of night. The perpetrator was also carrying a sledgehammer to kill Shapiro if given the chance.

August 8th, 2025, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) had been forced into lockdown by a shooter, firing over 500 shots into the building in a politically motivated attack, aimed at injuring or killing as many as the shooter could.

Today’s political world seems more dangerous than ever before. And while people can point blame to whomever they wish, the reality is that nobody should want violence to happen. Nobody should want others to be killed for their political position or values. You should not have your life on the line when discussing politics. The increase in political violence in America has many people worried, and it has many implications for the future. However, I believe that the best way to understand and predict what will happen in the future is to look into the past. Now, keep in mind that this is only a prediction, and I truly hope that the United States does not have to experience this. This is just a warning for those who still think that politics don’t matter.

The Years of Lead are in reference to the period of political and social unrest in Italy during the 1960s-1980s. From the beginning of the 1960s, Italy was experiencing an “economic miracle,” in which their economy was driven by market forces that were succeeding in developing the Italian market. While economic conditions were good, the nation was in an interesting position, politically. Much like the United States as of now, Italy had only two major parties. The Christian Democrats and the Italian Communist Party had almost complete control over the government during this time. The people of Italy began searching for third parties to replace the two party system, citing their inability to get things done.

However, despite the radicalization of the Italian people, the third parties they sought to fix the nation failed. They never won elections, they failed to form coalitions, and so the people radicalized further; students and politicians alike began advocating for political violence. Eventually, student protests descended into riots, culminating in the bombing of Piazza Fontana, which would kill 17 and injure 88. From there on out, neo-fascist Vanguard groups and anarcho-communist militias would fight each other and police on the streets. These groups would also commit domestic terror attacks against their population. Decades of violence and death, all because of politics.

Those who don’t see the parallels to our own nation, don’t worry, I’ll spell it out. The ineffective parties of Italy bear a close resemblance to our own parties. Much of the criticism of the United States’s political system is the horrendous two party system. People often criticize the system for not allowing too much of a difference in opinion. Democratic backsliding in Italy during that time is reminiscent of the same backsliding we see today here in the U.S. And finally, the radicalization of the people in Italy is reminiscent of how the algorithms of today create echo-chambers of media, forcing increasingly radical ideas onto people who sometimes don’t even know what they are getting into. In my opinion, it isn’t too far to say that the Years of Lead might actually bear some resemblance to a possible future in the United States.

Imagine for a moment what might happen if the same political violence that killed Charlie Kirk and burnt down Governor Shapiro’s house forced the Senate and Congress to crack down on freedom of speech or gun control. The people would refuse any form of freedom of speech limitations, and the people would refuse any form of gun control. The gridlock and debate in Congress could lead to a period of instability, in which the people become continually dissatisfied with their parties, becoming increasingly divided and hostile. Radical movements like neo-Nazis or Loyal Knights of the KKK, taking advantage of the situation, began fighting with groups like ANTIFA, even Socialist Rifle Brigades. The increasingly radical population only feeds these groups the manpower they need to commit domestic crimes and terrorism. Eventually, fringe peace movements and non-violent protests fail; they break down into much smaller parties. Groups like the American Iron Front or mutual aid coalitions will become more aligned with police forces, attempting to keep the peace. Eventually, Congress will refuse diplomacy with terror groups and other political parties, even with each other. This could lead to a period much like the Years of Lead.

I hope this never happens, and I’m sure you do as well. However, it is not bad to present a possible future scenario that can serve as a warning. Is this unrealistic? Absolutely, but ask yourself if it’s possible. What would your answer be? Maybe it could be worse, but hopefully it won’t happen at all. History is the best teacher, and is an old friend to all of us. We must learn from history so that it does not repeat itself.