For many, today will be consumed with the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. For me, I’ve not yet forgotten the day when two planes flew into the Twin Towers, but I cannot ignore the circumstances of the moment and see a connection between the radical jihadists who struck America and the Americans striking ourselves in acts of hatred and political violence.
The shooter remains at large, despite our FBI director twice saying he was in custody before knowing whether it was correct, and being compelled to twice back down from his impetuous claims. We don’t know for sure who committed the assassination or why. We can certainly make assumptions, but we don’t actually know. Not that the president let that slow his roll.
While Trump had little to say about Russia attacking Poland, our NATO ally, he had much to say about Charlie Kirks’ tragic death. Never one to let a tragedy go to waste, he knows who to blame and, it would appear, plans to use this as an excuse to pursue his enemies. He shows no recognition of his role in pushing inflammatory rhetoric that fuels acts of violence.
I can’t help but wonder, as I think about September 11, 2001, whether the terrorists on the planes could have ever imagined doing the damage to America that we are now doing to ourselves. The left does it. The right does it. Both believe they are righteous in committing political violence. Just like the 9/11 terrorists.
My knowledge of Kirk and what he stood for is limited. I’ve never followed him and really have little clue beyond the superficial MAGA support what he stands for. Perhaps he was a rational voice on the right. Perhaps he was a flamethrower. I just don’t know. Regardless, violence is not the answer and cannot be the answer. Violence was the answer of the 9/11 terrorists. And yet here we are, 9/11/2025, still talking about death, just like we did on 9/11/2001. Only now we are killing our own.
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I don’t know Charlie Kirk and don’t follow his ministry. Nevertheless, to see a father of 2 children, at age 31, so well thought of by so many on the “national scene”, spreading optimism to and about college age people all across America, promoting the aspirational parts of “traditional” American culture (liberty, clean living, and imago Dei), advocating for a journey of faith without condemnation of the “heresies” held by others and steadfastly against violence, so viciously assassinated by a cowardly adversary confirms my suspicion that radical wokists and far-left DEM leaders are far worse than idiotic. Anyone who has raised a teenager can deal with idiocy, but nothing prepares a civil-minded American for this level of evil.
This is no Rorschach test as Matthew Dowd and some DEM activists would want us to believe. Only darkness and palpable evil properly characterize the assassin’s act and those celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death.
Think of it. American citizens who believe social media is a platform for spreading their “thoughts” to their adoring followers, “professional” journalists, and radical activists, all celebrating the vicious assassination of a decent, upbeat, talented, energetic husband and father of two.
WTF have we done to ourselves?
[Ed. Note: “DEM”? Why do I bother?]
Apologies. I know there is fault on both sides. I’m a victim of my own “recentism” after choosing to watch too many videos with anti-Charlie Kirk comments. My comments should have been tempered by that reality. Please continue to “bother.”
[Ed. Note: Fair enough.]
Tonight, I’ll raise a glass to the memories of the men I knew that died in the Pentagon.
Until there is an Islamic reformation the Muslim majority in the world will continue to celebrate 9/11 and October 7th and plan further actions of the same.
Unfortunately I don’t see a Martin Luther on the horizon because he would be killed as soon as he said one word out of line.
As for Charlie Kirk, it is a tragedy and I fear a tit for tat reaction. I really hope not but the attempts and successes against various political figures doesn’t fill me with hope.
Both sides need to turn down the heat before it gets further out of hand.
This is a portion of what Paul Rieckhoff said yesterday: “And now, our nation is deeply challenged once again. The day before the anniversary of 9/11. This is again a time to unite. A time to bring the temperature down. To find justice and solutions. To work together. And to unite as Americans as much as possible.”
I recall after 9/11, we had a moment where we came together as a country, where we weren’t white or black or left or right, we were just Americans standing shoulder to shoulder. It was beautiful. It also didn’t last long. Maybe a couple of weeks, before devolving back into our usual bullshit.
Would that we could find the courage to set aside our differences again, but judging by the reactions of people across the political spectrum, including our President, I suspect this gets worse before it gets better.
Castro is alleged to have said, on the assassination of JFK, that “Only a fool would rejoice, for systems, not men, are the enemy.”
Trump throwing fuel on the fire. He doesn’t need to know who did this or why because he’s a stable genius.
Right now we have leaders that are great at divisiveness and we have the razor thin political wins that show an almost equally divided nation but where are the leaders that can bring us together? I’m guessing they are on the back benches because no one is buying what they are selling currently.
There is a need for solidarity, for thoughtful action…but that doesn’t seem to be what we are looking for in our leaders right now.
Charlie Kirk was kind of a demagogue; for example his support for the genocide in Palestine was disgusting, but I liked him because he consistently argued that peaceful public discussion was the best way to prevent political disagreements from spilling into violence, and he tried to keep the discussion civil even when debating the worst sort of leftwing nutjobs. His death is a tragedy; part of a larger tragedy in which violence is cheered by an increasingly large cohort on one side and used as an excuse to demand government overreach and/or violence in response on the other. Both sides do both, switching tactics depending on the target of the violence, while decrying the use of the same tactics by the other side. Well-funded propagandists on both sides work to promote and normalize these tactics.
He just wanted to talk to people and he was killed for it.
I weep for the death of not just Charlie Kirk but also open debate in the public eye tonight.