I’ve
never met Charlie Kirk. I don’t like the political views that he espouses, and I
suspect he wouldn't like mine. But he did for his views what most of us are afraid
to do for ours.
He thought them through, he organized, he went out on a limb to get his message out, he became the darling of the political right, he had the phone numbers of everyone important, and he used his influence to accomplish his aims.
His millions of followers followed him, listened to him, and supported him and his views. He was an Eagle Scout.
He took an oath years ago when he stood with his right hand held high and said: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my Country.” He worked at it. His motives were true. I disagreed with him.
Ezra Kline posted an opinion yesterday morning in the NYT that said that Kirk did his America correctly. Kline went on to say, "The foundation of a free society is the ability to participate in politics without fear of violence. To lose that is to risk losing everything. Charlie Kirk — and his family — just lost everything. As a country, we came a step closer to losing everything, too."
I agree.
So here we are again, bending a knee to the worst that is in us, shooting those with whom we disagree. Nobody should be shot for airing their beliefs. His MAGA world is roused to get even with their perceived enemies. The nut job that shot and killed him is one of many who disagree with Kirk’s hopes for the future of the nation. But he had no right to shoot him.
Naïve perhaps, but surely someone has a better argument for our future than Kirk’s. If they do, they should write about it, talk about it, organize around it, and preach about it. They should not shoot somebody because of it.
The irony, of course, is that the misguided shooting did the opposite of its intention. It didn’t stop people from speaking their beliefs, it didn’t lower the cultural temperature, and it didn’t bring calm. Just the opposite.
Now the MAGA world wants to increase the war against its adversaries. The rhetoric is and will continue to be more vitriolic. It is never good to trap the lion. It increases the tension that we have too much of.
Members of Congress, of both parties, are asking for more protection. They fear leaving their homes. Talking heads are watching their choice of words and their commute rituals. This is not the America Kirk wanted. It is not the world his verbal opponents want. It's not what I want. It is not what any right-thinking human would want.
Both sides need to come together to mourn the loss of a forceful American fighting for the America he wanted. The left and the right need to calm those who want to raise the political temperature. Liberals and Conservatives need to talk to each other, to try to bring America to a new norm, one of better discourse about issues and values, one that doesn’t revolve around hate for the opponent, one centered on the betterment of the nation.
This is supposed to be a nation for the huddled masses, for those yearning to be free. We are an experiment in the notion of self-government. But violence is shredding the fabric that is supposed to bind us together.
We should all lament the forced passing of a young man who had already made his mark. Many will say, “This is not who we are.”
But it is what we are becoming.
We
can do better.
