The Assassination of Charlie Kirk, Conclusion

I've been told that the nasty rhetoric mostly comes from the right.  I do not buy that at all.  Biden was a nasty President.  And, while Obama spoke more nicely, his words were often anything but.  However, I am certainly not going to assert that there is zero nasty rhetoric coming from the right.  I have often cringed at some of the things Trump has said.  But which side is more violent?

After George Floyd was killed, there were nationwide riots, with looting and burning.  There was an estimated $2 billion in property damage.  Some estimate the number of deaths as between one and two dozen.  Since Charlie Kirk was killed?  Anyone see conservatives rioting, burning and looting.  How about Occupy Wall Street?  Fights with police.  Claims of sexual assault and other crimes.  Usually left their protest areas a filthy mess.  The Tea Party?  Peaceful, neat and orderly. 

In a poll from the Network Contagion Research Institute, based at Rutgers University, they found that 55% of self-identified left of center respondents said it was at least somewhat justified to murder President Trump, vs 20.3% on the right.  15% said it was completely justified.  48% felt it was somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk, vs 14.3% on the right.  And 59% said it was somewhat acceptable to destroy a Tesla dealership, vs 23.6% on the right.  In a YouGov poll, 14% of Democrats said it was sometimes justified to use violence to achieve political goals, compared with 6% of Republicans.  We have a serious problem in this country. 

However, the biggest problem may be generational.  According to a survey by the Foundation For Individual Rights and Expression, each generation was asked if political violence is never acceptable.  93% of Baby Boomers agreed never acceptable.  But that number decreased in each generation.  86% of Gen X agreed political violence was never acceptable.  That decreased further with millenials at 71%.  And Gen Z?  Only 58% agreed that political violence was never acceptable.  (The alleged shooter of Kirk is 22 years old, part of Gen Z.)  Clearly, these younger people have not been taught about Free Speech.  About the First Amendment forming the basis of our democracy.  They have been taught that they are entitled to "safe spaces" in order to avoid speech they find objectionable.  College age kids!  The age of many of our soldiers. 

This hatred from the Left towards those who hold opposing viewpoints, certainly reminded me of my own experience.  During Trump's first campaign, a friend of 25 years yelled in my face about the election; and when I refused to promise that I would not vote for Trump, he loudly yelled "I'm done with you" as he walked away.  A colleague got in my face in Court, and I thought he was going to start beating on me.  A friend of 45 years decided he could no longer talk to me.  And one of my first bosses, a man who my wife and I were quite fond of, decided I was not good enough to speak with or be around.  Basically, all these people were no different from those who called Kirk a "piece of shit."  And they believe they have the moral high ground.  

Then there are the extended family members who have not been willing to speak with me, or attend any family events with me in attendance, since the November, 2024 election.  I have had people on the right disagree with me quite a bit.  But none stopped being friends with me.  Rather, they have tried to persuade me as to why they believed I was wrong.  Now, you can argue my experience is anecdotal only.  But clearly something is going on here.  

I've said it many times before.  Many Democrats, who think of themselves as liberal, have actually become leftists.  Leftists do not value free speech.  They do not believe in the First Amendment.  Rather, they are willing to ban what they deem to be "offensive" speech.  A quote usually attributed to Voltaire says:  "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  And, in my post on Classical Liberalism, from July 17, 2016, I quote John Stuart Mill on speech.  "If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."  But those views of Voltaire and Mill were the views of classical liberals.  Few and far between in today's Democratic Party; but those are views commonly held by Republicans.

Of all of our political leaders who have commented on Charlie Kirk's assassination, believe it or not Bernie Sanders said it best.  "Freedom and democracy is not about political violence.  It is not about assassinating public officials.  It is not about trying to intimidate people who speak out on an issue.  Political violence, in fact, is political cowardice.  It means that you cannot convince people  of the correctness of your ideas, and you have to impose them through force.  We must welcome and respect dissenting points of view.  That's what our Constitution is about, that's what our Bill of Rights is about.  That, in fact, is what freedom is about."  And that is what Charlie Kirk was all about - a free and open exchange of ideas.