Just Another Tragedy?

I was sitting in my office late yesterday afternoon, installing software in a pair of new, used computers when I first read the news of the shooting at the University in Utah. Charlie Kirk had been shot while giving one of his discussions in the quad of the school. Early reports were sketchy having him in critical condition, but as I then drove to the golf course the radio news told a far graver story leading finally to the announcement of his death.

We have recently had a spate of high profile murder attempts and successes in the US political world. In little more than a year there have been two attempts on Trump, a Wisconsin State Representative and his wife murdered and the Pennsylvania State Mansion attacked trying to kill Josh Shapiro and his family.

And now the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Who was not an elected official. Just a man steeped in faith and family who was very effective at carrying a message to the youth of the country. Yes, the message that he brought to thousands of high school and university campuses over the 13 years he was doing what he did was controversial. To the progressive side of the political spectrum.

His message was the conservative one, that a faith in God rather than a faith in Government should underpin your belief system. While Charlie was a Christian and proud of his faith declaring it the best way forward, he believed faith in God better than faith in nothing. A faith ties you to others because you share that God amongst yourselves. If you have no belief you stand alone and vulnerable to whatever false gods exist at the time. Government, drugs, extremist beliefs all take sway over the individual without faith because fear is the driver.

In the environment he thrived in, he asked but a simple question. Prove me wrong. And tens of thousands have tried to do this over those 13 years of his mission into those schools. And make no mistake it was a mission. In the faith driven sense. He was missioning to the youth of today that is lost. Needing some kind of leader that doesn’t inspire anger. A leader that says, there is a leader and its not me.

Charlie was truly effective at this. And for that paid with his life.

I wake up every morning and do the same things, commit myself to the power that gave me back my life, then read the news. I do not have an understanding of that power as Charlie did, I do not have a specific dogma to follow or religion to kneel to. But I know to my core that this power call it God, or whatever else works, exists. I see it happen to often in my life and the lives around me.

That this is the message of conservatism is humorous as it is classic liberalism. That faith in God will relieve you of the bondage of faith in man. Whether that man is King, despot or simply president. With faith all things are possible is the message. With faith you cannot hate.

Haters exist. And these folks become apoplectic at the message of Charlie Kirk. And so today he is dead. A much easier solution than debating him. Just silence him. And that is what makes this so different today. It just feels different. There is an anger underlying the news hosts telling of the day. Pundits on each side blaming each other in ever more strident rhetorical flourish. But people are tired of hearing such anger. They know that this anger is what killed Charlie Kirk.

Dehumanization, its the methodology used to ensure people do not empathize with their potential victims. He is a Nazi, the second coming of Hitler, he is a puppet of Putin. And all who are supporters are deplorable, degenerates. Not worthy of your time or consideration. Years of critical race theory telling people that white men are the problem. Separate the herd, make them afraid and turn them loose. Then when these jealous take action turn the blame on those they’ve attacked.

This time seems to be different. One such pundit who tried to make this the result of Charlie Kirks ‘Nazilike’ behaviour finds himself job hunting this morning. There is righteous anger regarding this assassination. And it is certain to bring about change. Of course the question becomes, will this be the kind of change Charlie Kirk was advocating for? Or will this just be another tragedy with no lesson.