Let me begin by saying that even though I disagree with Charlie Kirk’s stance on several issues, I find no joy or satisfaction in his death by assassination. I also recognize that for many people working in the Trump administration, including the president himself, Kirk was a beloved figure, a key advocate for Trump’s positions among Gen Z-ers, and a close friend. It is entirely normal and healthy that those who were close to Kirk are grieving his death and the manner in which he was killed. And as is the case for many families who have lost a loved one to violence, it is not surprising that the first response would be to seek revenge. That certainly seems to be the case for Tyler Robinson, as the judge in his court case has already stated he will seek the death penalty if Robinson is found guilty. All of this is to be expected and is even “normal.” We may debate the efficacy and morality of capital punishment, but that those who have lost a loved one would call for it, is to be expected
What is not normal are the statements by members of the Trump administration – JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi, Steven Miller, and Donald Trump have stated without any evidence that Tyler Robinson was part of a violent left-wing conspiracy and that they will seek to punish all such organizations and their funders. As tragic as it is, Charlie Kirk’s assassination is not the only instance of deadly violence being used against a political leader. Nor is it true that these attacks have been perpetrated only by “the left-wing.” Violence against people who espouse conservative and progressive views and no views at all, have all been targets of gun violence, from children in elementary schools to low-level politicians, to the President himself.
Before officials in the Trump administration start attacking people they consider leftist, they need to look in the mirror. Who was it that spawned and cheered an attempt to take over the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021? Who has begun to use the language of “war,” sending in National Guard troops and, in one case the Marines, into cities with Democratic mayors? Who is it that has charged the FBI to investigate present and former political leaders who have been involved in investigating criminal charges against the President during his first term? Who has told ICE to arrest anyone who looks Hispanic, speaks Spanish, or has what sounds like a Spanish accent, even if they are U.S. citizens?
We who consider ourselves to be politically progressive (a term I prefer to “liberal” or “left” ) need to look in our mirrors too. As much as we disagree with the stances Kirk took on key issues, cheering his assassination is not called for. As a Mennonite who espouses nonviolent direct action versus violent action, I don’t see violence in any form doing anything but leading to more violence. Because of actions taken by people like Tyler Robinson, we are entering a low-level civil war,♦ wherein we see people espousing different political views than ours as an “enemy,” not a fellow citizen.
While Charlie Kirk has been lauded by his fellow conservatives as having convinced a significant number of young people to vote for Donald Trump in the last presidential election, and that his message that connected well with the college-aged young person, I fear his death will have a far greater effect on deepening the divide and firing up the hatred between conservatives and progressives.
Is that what we want?
♦ In a previous blog on Feb 22, 2022, I discussed a book written by political science professor Barbara Walter entitled How Civil Wars Start. Dr. Walter reviewed the research on nations across the globe that had engaged in civil wars and the factors that led to those wars starting. In talking about the United States, she wrote that she hoped we had the necessary barriers in the Constitution and laws to prevent a civil war starting in the U. S. She went on to say that if civil war started here, it would not be regionally divided with armies coming from two different directions, but rather would involve individual acts of violence, like assasinations, attacks on public officials, kidnapping and the like.