On Wednesday, September 10, Charlie Kirk, conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He later died as a result of his wounds. He left behind a wife and two children.
Around the time Kirk was killed, yet another school shooting occurred. The Denver Post reported that a student opened fire at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County, Colorado. As of this writing, three teens, including the shooter, are in critical condition at an area hospital.
Sadly, in the immediate moments after a mass shooting or act of political violence, our brains kick into social media mode. We begin to wonder, “How is my online nemesis going to frame this?” and “How can I get ahead of their argument?”
We create mental ledger sheets that compare how often each “side” is the victim or perpetrator of violence. We minimize or maximize the circumstances surrounding one side or the other to benefit the argument we are preparing to make.
Deep down, we know the victims of the violence are humans created in the image of God with families and loved ones whose lives are shattered. But our egos won’t allow us to break out of the cycles of self-preservation, cycles that rely on us preemptively slipping our talking points into our “thoughts and prayers.”
We must find our way out of these horrors.
But how? Is there a way out of the cycle that doesn’t involve surrendering our values?
How do we communicate, “These policies and this rhetoric harm humans,” while also saying, “Those who advocate for these policies and practice this rhetoric are beloved children of God, and I will be a champion for their dignity and humanity?”
Perhaps we can only do so if we are willing to lose the online argument in order to save our souls. Because championing the dignity and humanity of those with whom we disagree isn’t an effective Search Engine Optimization strategy.
It doesn’t generate clicks, but it is a value we must exercise so we are prepared for moments like this.
Too often, we rely on “both sides” arguments in these moments to avoid accountability for our own missteps or, more often, to avoid the discomfort of a conversation where one side is clearly wrong. But there is something that all sides must acknowledge is infecting our public lives, and that is rhetorical violence. Few of us are innocent of this sin.
Guns and bombs are ripping lives away from us at breakneck speed. But whether or not we have access to these physical weapons, most of us have found ways to use our tongues and keyboards to denigrate and dehumanize others. Once that denigration and dehumanization begin, the door is opened for those more inclined to physical violence.
As numerous prophets of nonviolence have taught us, effective nonviolence doesn’t seek the humiliation of opponents, but their friendship and understanding. It not only refuses to use physical violence, but also refuses to give in to hatred.
Is there a way out of all this? I am praying there is. I will also work to make it so.
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Senior Editor at Good Faith Media.
