I don’t have much to add to the millions of words being said about the events of this week. The assassination of Charlie Kirk has been on the minds and lips of many people and has dominated the news. A person — Tyler Robinson — has confessed to the shooting and he is a white, college-aged, male from an intact Utah family. The family obviously believes in the 2nd Amendment judging from their family photos. In addition to my prayers for Kirk’s family, I pray for Robinson’s family. Their lives have also been changed forever.
There was another school shooting this week. At the Evergreen High School, 16-year old Desmond Holly shot two students and then himself. Holly had posted antisemitic and white supremacist views online prior to the shooting. The two students are in critical condition.
The reaction to Kirk’s death has been discouraging with some celebrating it and others using it as a reason to call for violence against “the left.” I am not going to get into who is worse. None of it is productive. The two shootings this week appear to balance each other ideologically speaking, but so what? Nobody won, everybody lost.
All I know is that people who have a public voice should condemn violence and advise their followers to do the same. That means everybody should condemn violence.
In other news, Trump continues to push his plan to send troops in to US cities, this time Memphis.
Trump also called on Americans to pray an hour a week for the US — as long as it is Christian prayer. I will have more to say about this Christian nationalist proposal next week.
There have been multiple articles, blog posts, op-ed this week. I want to link to four:
John Fea - Charlie Kirk, RIP (a summary of information and reflections)
Jemar Tisby - Why Trump’s Plan to Send Troops Into Cities Is About Race, Not Crime
Bernie Sanders statement - a video statement which outlines why free speech is necessary in a democratic form of government.
Christianity and American Culture (Shawn Graves) - How Should We Respond to Charlie Kirk’s Death?
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"Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind."
I agree with Donne, and I do not approve of murder, no matter who the victim, or the perpetrator, and that includes the State. This was wrong, and it accomplished no good, whatsoever. People should not celebrate his murder. However, neither will I participate in any veneration.
I am sorry for his children, because I assume they loved him - perhaps more than he loved them, since he considered the shooting deaths of children to be an acceptable consequence of having that Sacred Second Amendment (as currently interpreted). I hope their mother is able to keep them safe - from everyone.
I thought this piece was worth reading: https://www.catholicleague.org/kirk-was-killed-because-he-was-christian/