The Assassination of Charlie Kirk

The political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in Utah on Wednesday in front of an audience of thousands. He was 31 years old and leaves behind a wife and two young children.

The motivation is yet unknown because his assassin remains at large, but it’s virtually guaranteed that Charlie was killed because of his political views and statements. His death is the latest episode of political violence, which is becoming worse here in America.

Some irresponsible statements followed saying that the left is more prone to violence, due to the attempts on Donald Trump’s life as well as the killing of the United Health CEO. But Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in their home just 3 months ago, and Paul Pelosi was attacked in his home. The truth is that violence is not unique to one side or the other in America. People who monitor the online threat environment say that there is more consistent activity than ever from both sides.

I fear that Charlie Kirk’s killing will only heighten the tension and conflict. A young, well-known leader graphically and gruesomely killed in front of a huge audience will anger and infuriate those on his side. The best leaders will try to bring the temperature down. The worst will want to channel the anger toward targets and ideological opponents.

Some bad actors may suggest that Kirk somehow called this violence upon himself because of his views and statements. That is wrong. No one deserves to be attacked for their point-of-view or freedom of expression. Violence is never the answer.

I’ve read up on the pattern in declining democracies. Typically, as polarization rises violence also goes up over multiple years until something breaks the fever, often a period of sustained conflict that leaves both sides exhausted. Eventually, people say, “Enough is enough” because of losses – and deaths - on both sides. Examples include Northern Ireland in its time of troubles or the United States in the 1960s, another time of intense polarization.

I fear that Charlie Kirk is closer to the beginning of this process than the end. I pray I’m wrong. But the fever is rising more than falling.

One reason I started Forward was that I believed that a third force in American politics could reduce polarization. Change the mechanics and incentives, and perhaps cooler heads could prevail. Most of us know that violence is never the answer.

Charlie Kirk should still be alive today. So should Melissa Hortman. May their deaths bring us back from the brink. Do all you can to remind people of our shared humanity so that others don’t lose their mothers and fathers.