Charlie Kirk, the political activist and CEO of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Wednesday, September 10, at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University. He left behind a wife, Erika Frantzve, and two children, ages 3 and 2. Kirk’s assassination comes on the heels of the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse earlier this summer.
Earlier in the day, another school shooting took place outside of Denver, Colorado, at Evergreen High School. Three teens were shot and are in critical condition. According to Everytown, a nonprofit organization dedicated to gun safety, there have been over 31 deaths and 96 injuries as a direct result of gun violence in schools this year.
While the overall violent crime rates in the U.S. are in decline, a rise in the affinity for political violence and the continuation of school shootings remain steady. Over the summer, the Public Religion Research Institute released a report showing that 23% of Americans agree with the statement: “Because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” This represents a 15% increase from 2021.
Responses to Kirk’s murder have rightly denounced violence and demonstrated compassion for his family. This has become a familiar response after violence rips through the American landscape, leaving death, confusion and regret in its wake.
Over the course of the last 15 years in the U.S., political violence has become routine.
2011 – Arizona Democratic Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot in the head.
2017 – Shooting at Republican baseball practice.
2020 – Plan to kidnap Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
2021 – Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
2022 – Louisville Mayor, Democrat Craig Greenburg, targeted by a shooter.
2022 -The husband of Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Congresswoman and former Speaker of the House, was attacked with a hammer inside their home.
2024 – Gunmen targeted Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump on two separate occasions.
And woven within all of these events is the militarization of policing and the growing use of violence by law enforcement across the country. This trend culminated in President Trump’s executive actions, which sent the National Guard to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and potentially other cities across the country.
All across social media feeds this week, the same platitude is being shared: “Political violence is never the answer.” I agree with the sentiment 100%. I also think that we all need to reckon with political violence and American history.
While we denounce violent acts like we saw this week, we must stop pretending this is not who we are as a people. In the words of rapper Childish Gambino, “This is America!”
A country founded on the genocide of Native Americans, the enslavement of Africans, and the targeting of racialized communities by their own government cannot expect peace to be at the heart of the American psyche.
Increasing numbers of Americans seem to believe violence is an acceptable means to an end…period.
Matthew Dowd was fired from MSNBC this week for speaking to this very fact hours after the shooting: “(Kirk has) been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”
Dowd continued, “And I think that is the environment we are in. You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in.”
While you can debate the timing of Dowd’s remarks, the truth of the matter is he’s not wrong. Violent rhetoric always precedes violent actions.
MSNBC released this statement: “There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.” Again, we all agree with this statement, but reality informs us otherwise.
America will continue to be a violent nation until it comes to grips with its violent past that still fuels the terrorizing atrocities we see today.
If we are to ever get past this violent nature woven into the fabric of our society, then we must take a long, hard look in the mirror and recall Jesus’ words, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.”
When will the violence stop in America? When will we grow tired of killing ourselves?
The thought that scares me the most is not that we will ever grow tired of using violence (evidence suggests otherwise), but that we continue to grow more fond of it as a tool to settle differences. Recent evidence suggests this is the case. Still, we must find another way.
Mahatma Gandhi offered, “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”
With the scars of our past and the fresh wounds of our present, we must dig deep to discover a new path forward, because if we do not, we will continue killing ourselves to the point of oblivion. For me, and I hope for you, the only path forward is love.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said it best, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”
The only way out of this hellhole of violence that continues to permeate our culture is to find more love for ourselves and others. We must quickly recognize that we are headed down a path to self-destruction and the only way out is to change course.
For a country reeling in another week where violence once again struck with deadly force, we need to set down our weapons of choice (words and steel), stretch out our arms, and offer a loving embrace. But, we must not let go as we’ve done before. If we do, this week will be recorded as just another violent week in America and the continued path towards self-destruction.
The moment is now. With reality hitting us in the face yet again, we love our way out of this hell.
Love is the only path towards peace.
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