The question is, “Where do we go from here?” One of the results of any assassination for the general public is fear. Fear of the chaos that ensues after a major violent event. The fear of violence if you criticize the victim. A fear that supporters of the victim will come after those who disagree with the victim. We need to take a step back and take a larger look at this issue.

I did not know Charlie Kirk or anything about him before his tragic assassination, but it seems that many people considered him to be a hero of major proportions. To such people this was a horrific event, and they are desperate to make sense of what happened. Sadly, such events rarely make much sense, but rather amplify the emotions of anger, outrage and profound sadness.

I think that everyone would agree that Charlie Kirk was a hard-working right-wing activist with a particular appeal to young people. He started at the young age of 18 by writing an essay for Steve Bannon’s Breitbart News. He continued to work in conservative circles and in 2012, he co-founded along with Bill Montgomery, Turning Point USA. This organization became a major mover in conservative youth circles.

Over time, he became an ardent Trump supporter.

He was very loyal to Trump and became a major adviser. He held a number of conservative positions. He opposed gay marriage, opposed abortion, opposed restrictions on gun ownership, was a critic of Islam, was a supporter of Christian Nationalism, and often spread, what some thought was, misleading information about COVID vaccines and voting.

Obviously, those of us on the political left would not agree with Mr. Kirk on much of anything and the Trump Whitehouse is happy to blame Charlie Kirk’s death on persons on the left. I will not spend time debating that other than to point out that the deed was carried out by one individual as far as we know.

The question is, “Where do we go from here?” One of the results of any assassination for the general public is fear. Fear of the chaos that ensues after a major violent event. The fear of violence if you criticize the victim. A fear that supporters of the victim will come after those who disagree with the victim. We need to take a step back and take a larger look at this issue.

First, we must condemn violence in all of its forms. If we condone violence, it may well be visited back upon ourselves. There are always injustices in the world, and we may feel somehow justified to use violence to gain the justice we seek. It rarely works out the way we intend. Violence simply begats more violence. Although not actually an authentic quote from Ghandi, the following phrase has much to say to us: “An eye for an eye will leave everyone blind.”

Most of the major world religions generally agree on the centrality of love for everyone. No matter how you feel about Charlie Kirk, he is one of God’s children and doesn’t deserve to be murdered just because someone disagrees with him.

Second, we must not succumb to the fear that comes from chaotic and potentially violent situations. Can we oppose the view that Charlie Kirk held? Yes, we can. There is an old saying that one should not speak ill of the dead. The key is to disagree in a respectful manner. A man’s views are not the same thing as the man. I can respect Charlie Kirk as a child of God and still speak in opposition to his views.

In the aftermath of this shooting there have been attacks by the Trump administration and their allies on free speech. Most notably there was the suspension of the late night “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show by ABC. This was precipitated by pressure from the Trump controlled Federal Communications Commissions. USA Today reports that more than 100 people have been fired, suspended or censured due to comments or posts on social media about Charlie Kirk. These are scary times when what you say can get you in serious trouble. Clemson University fired three staff members because of posts they made about Charlie Kirk.

The specific posts about Charlie Kirk will die down, but what will continue to be of concern is Trump’s threat to go after the left-leaning organizations by bringing racketeering charges against them, attempting to revoke their tax-exempt status, and declaring them to be terrorist organizations. Yes, these are scary times, but I would call on all to have courage. In the face of an authoritarian administration, do not obey in advance. Speak up, protest and help organize resistance.

Yes, there is risk, but our democracy is too important to lose. Those of you who are retired remember that you don’t have a job to be fired from. The risk isn’t zero, but it is a little less than some of the employed folks.

Remember to stand up for what you believe, but to do it in a way that recognizes the dignity of all people. Peace!