BJG

I am pleased to announce the publication of my and Dr. Amy King’s OpEd, “The Centennial of an Assassination in Italy Offers a Sober Warning for Today,” in TIME‘s “Made by History” series. The OpEd commemorates the centennial of Giacomo Matteotti’s murder in June 1924, which precipitated Benito Mussolini’s declaration of dictatorship in January 1925. Matteotti was willing to risk his life to stand up for his country’s democracy. The question for the citizens of today’s democracies is: Are we willing to take a stand against authoritarianism (and, in some cases, fascism) in our societies?

Below is an abstract for “The Centennial of an Assassination in Italy Offers a Sober Warning for Today,” followed by a URL where you can read the OpEd.

OpEd Abstract

On May 30, Lorenzo Fontana, President of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies and a member of the right-wing political party Lega (League), announced that the seat once occupied by Giacomo Matteotti, the socialist deputy who was assassinated by Benito Mussolini’s henchmen in 1924, would remain vacant in perpetuity. A plaque was installed to commemorate Matteotti’s political murder, Fontana explained, and the empty seat in the Chamber would stand as a “permanent reminder of his sacrifice.” A century later, the lessons of Italy’s “Matteotti Crisis” continue to resonate. Marred by the rise of authoritarian leaders, the spread of far-right nationalism and xenophobia, and instances of politically-motivated violence — including most recently a series of attacks and assassination attempts on European political leaders — the Western world increasingly resembles the conditions that produced the Italian crisis in 1924 and 1925. It will take learning from the mistakes made by Italian political leaders to prevent history from disastrously repeating itself.

OpEd URL

https://time.com/6987974/matteotti-assassination-centennial-lesson/