Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk's assassination was a terrible thing. Unfortunately, too many people on both sides are using this heinous crime to further divide and radicalize this country. Some leftists are making excuses for this vile act by noting some of Kirk's beliefs and methods. Some rightists are asserting that "they" (the left) is responsible for Kirk's death. Both positions are wrong and dangerous. There are no excuses for this murder, and "they" did not pull the trigger. A single individual is solely responsible for the act. Similarly, an individual killed the Democratic politician, Mellissa Hortman and her husband, in Minnesota. An individual tried to assassinate Donald Trump. An individual tried to kill Democratic Governor Shapiro in Pennsylvania. And on and on. Freedom of speech is a fundamental guardrail of our democracy, and it is truly in danger. People sometimes say that we have forgotten how to agree, but that is not the problem. The real problem is that we have forgotten how to disagree with each other. Our leaders need to start setting a better example of how to disagree with each other without treating each other as enemies. Otherwise, the societal fractures we now see could tear this country apart.