Authored by Armstrong Williams via The Epoch Times,
When a man in his late twenties from Minnesota takes to TikTok to offer $45,000 for the assassination of a former Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi, it’s not just another extremist rant. It’s a stark indication of a much deeper issue—the erosion of morality in our society.
The FBI reported that Tyler Avalos posted a video on October 16 with the caption “WANTED: Pam Bondi. REWARD: $45,000. DEAD OR ALIVE (PREFERABLY DEAD),” accompanied by an image of Bondi in the crosshairs of a rifle. This wasn’t hidden in the shadows of the dark web; it was boldly posted on TikTok, a platform known for attracting attention-seekers and provocateurs.
This audacity should raise alarm bells for every American. It indicates that the boundaries that once curbed outrage and violence have disintegrated.
There was a time when people acted with a sense of fear—not irrational, but moral fear. This fear was a civic virtue, a recognition that actions have consequences. Now, we are living in an era where shock outweighs shame, and notoriety outweighs fear. Social media has elevated the unstable to positions of influence.
Platforms like TikTok and X reward extremism, not rationality. The algorithm is indifferent to whether one is serious or deranged, only caring about volume. For those who feel marginalized or ignored, outrage becomes a form of currency, and violence becomes a means to gain significance.
When an individual can openly solicit an assassination and expect followers rather than federal authorities, the concept of deterrence has vanished.
Avalos’s alleged threat is not just a criminal act; it epitomizes political nihilism—the notion that nothing is sacred, that speech is merely a spectacle, and that power justifies any means. This nihilism has permeated U.S. politics, from threats against judges to violence at rallies.
Both sides are complicit.
The left justifies its extremists as “activists.”
The right justifies its own as “patriots.”
Each side’s moral blind spot legitimizes the other’s insanity. However, when justice is measured by team loyalty, society ceases to function as a cohesive unit.
A society can only maintain order when restraint is voluntary—when individuals choose not to cross certain lines because they still acknowledge their existence. Today, those lines have been blurred.
Effective deterrence necessitates two elements: certainty and consequence. Both have dwindled.
Americans observe violent rioters being set free while ordinary citizens defending themselves face legal repercussions. They witness selective justice—leniency for the powerful, retribution for the politically inconvenient. When the law appears partisan, people cease to fear it. When consequences are contingent on one’s identity rather than actions, deterrence fades.
A society cannot uphold order when justice is conditional. The law must be impartial, not prejudiced.
In a society driven by fame, notoriety has replaced immortality. The unstable no longer dread incarceration; they crave recognition. Attention—even negative attention—suffices as a reward.
This is why swift and visible enforcement is imperative. The prompt arrest of Avalos by the FBI was crucial and just. Delayed justice signifies weakness. However, enforcement alone cannot eradicate the underlying decay. We must revive moral deterrence—the societal understanding that certain behaviors are beneath us as human beings and intolerable as citizens.
What we are currently witnessing is the erosion of accountability. Every declining civilization first loses its sense of shame. When people no longer fear moral transgressions, legal consequences swiftly follow. The distinction between right and wrong becomes obscured in the haze of “my truth” and “your truth.”
This is where America finds itself—a nation consumed by perpetual outrage, devoid of proportion or restraint. Politicians stoke this frenzy to keep voters agitated and engaged. However, anger is combustible. When words lack boundaries, violence seizes the opportunity.
The solution isn’t merely stricter laws. It demands stronger moral fiber. It necessitates moral courage—the kind that refuses to justify violence, regardless of the target. Deterrence commences not in Washington but within the conscience of every individual.
America doesn’t require a speech code; it requires a moral compass. We must reiterate that liberty is not a license, that freedom entails responsibility, and that the rule of law must be applied universally or it applies to no one.
Until this transformation occurs, we will continue breeding more individuals like Tyler Avalos—individuals who mistake infamy for significance, and chaos for bravery.
And when fear—the constructive kind—ultimately dissipates, civilization crumbles.
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