U.S. And International Politics

[Richard Smith]

Dear Herr Schicklgruber, I mean Herr Smith,

What's wrong with despising someone who makes fun of handicapped people, started laundering money for the Russian Mafia in 1984, and sexually assaults women in department store changing rooms?

-- Tom

Why do you have to "despise" Trump?  Why can't you just say that you disagree with his conduct?  Most of what you have posted even here is misinformation.  Making politics so personal and vindicative is the problem.  The person who committed this act likely spent most of his 22 years online reading garbage like you post.  He thinks Trump is Hitler and his supporter are all Nazis.  He is going to spend the rest of his life in jail.  The social media types just rage on and on.

[Royell Storing]

  This guy probably never had a legit job. Spent his "formative" years playing video games. Then goes to college for 1 semester and gets overwhelmed. We have 2 generations that are ripe for the pickings via the internet. They have no interpersonal skills. This is why they hate Kirk. He was what they craved to be. I also believe the Corona Virus played a part in isolating this guy. 

[Lance Payette]

I will confess, I had never even heard of Charlie Kirk.

I live in a fairly small, exceedingly liberal college town. I said to my wife long ago that if I were the most enthusiastic Trump supporter on the planet, there would be no Trump signs in my yard or Trump bumper stickers on my car. It simply wouldn't be safe. I don't suppose I'd be shot, but I guarantee you my car wouldn't be safe.

Now that I've read some of Kirk's views - many of which I might agree with in a less incendiary way - if I were him I don't think I would have appeared at open-air events even with an (ineffective) bulletproof vest. Did he "deserve what he got"? No, of course not. Was he taking an extreme risk in today's political climate? Absolutely.

I happen to listen to a lot of Christian talk radio (much of which I can't stand!). Good Lord, on these shows Kirk is a saint, a Christian martyr, the voice of sanity and reason who would surely have been President some day. Some of the hosts literally can't get through their shows without sobbing. Sorry, but much of what I have read places Kirk as the rightwing counterpart to some of the most incendiary Lefties. If you're going to say those sorts of things in that sort of language in today's world, you are taking an extreme risk.

Crazily, my best friend is an absolutely foaming-at-the-mouth Trump hater. I sent him an email this morning, asking if he'd ever heard of Kirk. What he sent back managed to turn the entire incident into Trump's fault, as though the leftwing wacko with a rifle wasn't even part of the equation. His logic must be that young Tyler was just acting out what most sane people are thinking anyway.

It really seems quite hopeless to me. Kirk's death isn't going to "bring us together," make anyone think things have finally gone too far. As long as these extremists on both sides think their extreme views and incendiary rhetoric is "normal" and "reasonable," nothing will change and things will only get worse. You are only "normal" and "reasonable" if you capitulate to their views; there is no in-between. Trump is a lightning rod, of course, but the issues are far deeper than him.

It's a genuine war. I have a number of friends in the same age range who have the same perspective that I have: Thank God I'm 75 and don't have to worry about what the country or the world will look like 25 or 50 years from now. Just let me lay low and get through the remainder of life before the sh*t really hits the fan. The way things are going, I fear the sh*t may hit the fan well within my lifetime. It's becoming almost ... biblical.

[Benjamin Cole]

It is open-season in the USA on right-wing political figures speaking at outdoor rallies.

There have been entirely repulsive justifications of the Charlie Kirk shooting, along the lines that Kirk caused his own grief, by having strongly expressed right-wing opinions.

That is surely a steep, slippery slope for us all to get onto to, lefty or rightie. Anyone with opinions on political matters...is asking for it. They all generate hatred.

Good luck out there, everyone.

[Richard Smith]

I will confess, I had never even heard of Charlie Kirk.

I live in a fairly small, exceedingly liberal college town. I said to my wife long ago that if I were the most enthusiastic Trump supporter on the planet, there would be no Trump signs in my yard or Trump bumper stickers on my car. It simply wouldn't be safe. I don't suppose I'd be shot, but I guarantee you my car wouldn't be safe.

Now that I've read some of Kirk's views - many of which I might agree with in a less incendiary way - if I were him I don't think I would have appeared at open-air events even with an (ineffective) bulletproof vest. Did he "deserve what he got"? No, of course not. Was he taking an extreme risk in today's political climate? Absolutely.

I happen to listen to a lot of Christian talk radio (much of which I can't stand!). Good Lord, on these shows Kirk is a saint, a Christian martyr, the voice of sanity and reason who would surely have been President some day. Some of the hosts literally can't get through their shows without sobbing. Sorry, but much of what I have read places Kirk as the rightwing counterpart to some of the most incendiary Lefties. If you're going to say those sorts of things in that sort of language in today's world, you are taking an extreme risk.

Crazily, my best friend is an absolutely foaming-at-the-mouth Trump hater. I sent him an email this morning, asking if he'd ever heard of Kirk. What he sent back managed to turn the entire incident into Trump's fault, as though the leftwing wacko with a rifle wasn't even part of the equation. His logic must be that young Tyler was just acting out what most sane people are thinking anyway.

It really seems quite hopeless to me. Kirk's death isn't going to "bring us together," make anyone think things have finally gone too far. As long as these extremists on both sides think their extreme views and incendiary rhetoric is "normal" and "reasonable," nothing will change and things will only get worse. You are only "normal" and "reasonable" if you capitulate to their views; there is no in-between. Trump is a lightning rod, of course, but the issues are far deeper than him.

It's a genuine war. I have a number of friends in the same age range who have the same perspective that I have: Thank God I'm 75 and don't have to worry about what the country or the world will look like 25 or 50 years from now. Just let me lay low and get through the remainder of life before the sh*t really hits the fan. The way things are going, I fear the sh*t may hit the fan well within my lifetime. It's becoming almost ... biblical.

Those under 30 in this country have lived lives online and in social media.  They are isolated and exposed to all manner of disinformation and hate speech.  The loon who assassinated Kirk is a product of that environment.  He was likely convinced that Kirk was a Nazi and he would be a hero for his act.  Instead he will spend the rest of his life in prison.  Maybe face the death penalty.  The propaganda or whatever is going on with the social media algorithms are having an impact on the younger crowd.  They are certainly not getting any smarter as standardized test score are hitting rock bottom but they are also experiencing higher levels of mental health issues and anger.  Not a good combination.

[Royell Storing]

I will confess, I had never even heard of Charlie Kirk.

I live in a fairly small, exceedingly liberal college town. I said to my wife long ago that if I were the most enthusiastic Trump supporter on the planet, there would be no Trump signs in my yard or Trump bumper stickers on my car. It simply wouldn't be safe. I don't suppose I'd be shot, but I guarantee you my car wouldn't be safe.

Now that I've read some of Kirk's views - many of which I might agree with in a less incendiary way - if I were him I don't think I would have appeared at open-air events even with an (ineffective) bulletproof vest. Did he "deserve what he got"? No, of course not. Was he taking an extreme risk in today's political climate? Absolutely.

I happen to listen to a lot of Christian talk radio (much of which I can't stand!). Good Lord, on these shows Kirk is a saint, a Christian martyr, the voice of sanity and reason who would surely have been President some day. Some of the hosts literally can't get through their shows without sobbing. Sorry, but much of what I have read places Kirk as the rightwing counterpart to some of the most incendiary Lefties. If you're going to say those sorts of things in that sort of language in today's world, you are taking an extreme risk.

Crazily, my best friend is an absolutely foaming-at-the-mouth Trump hater. I sent him an email this morning, asking if he'd ever heard of Kirk. What he sent back managed to turn the entire incident into Trump's fault, as though the leftwing wacko with a rifle wasn't even part of the equation. His logic must be that young Tyler was just acting out what most sane people are thinking anyway.

It really seems quite hopeless to me. Kirk's death isn't going to "bring us together," make anyone think things have finally gone too far. As long as these extremists on both sides think their extreme views and incendiary rhetoric is "normal" and "reasonable," nothing will change and things will only get worse. You are only "normal" and "reasonable" if you capitulate to their views; there is no in-between. Trump is a lightning rod, of course, but the issues are far deeper than him.

It's a genuine war. I have a number of friends in the same age range who have the same perspective that I have: Thank God I'm 75 and don't have to worry about what the country or the world will look like 25 or 50 years from now. Just let me lay low and get through the remainder of life before the sh*t really hits the fan. The way things are going, I fear the sh*t may hit the fan well within my lifetime. It's becoming almost ... biblical.

   You can not let others dictate what you do or don't do. There's nothing wrong with keeping your head down until you are called on. Not everybody was made to be a leader. But to freely submit to this intimidation only causes it to grow with confidence.  Thou you don't know it, you DO have a role to play. Do not permit yourself to be mentally beat down.

[Tom Graves]

My best friend is an absolutely foaming-at-the-mouth Trump hater.

Dear Lance,

Aren't all Trump "haters" foaming-at-the-mouth in your humble opinion?

Regardless, how can you not despise a man who makes fun of handicapped people, started laundering money for the Russian Mafia in 1984, and sexually assaults women in department store changing rooms?

-- Tom