In a country built on the basis of freedom of speech and belief, it’s ironic that one of the most frightening threats to democracy are the people themselves. Polarization has long plagued America’s political environment, but political violence has seen an astonishing surge, most recently claiming the life of 31-year-old political activist Charlie Kirk.
The assassination — which took place on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at one of Kirk’s debates at Utah Valley University — has generated both sorrow and delight among social media users, who flocked to share their inputs on Kirk’s death. In the hours that followed the assassination, countless graphic videos of the shooting were uploaded to social media platforms with comments either sympathizing with Kirk’s family or celebrating his death. Many commenters mocked a statement that Kirk previously made saying that it was worth it “to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment.”
Despite the fact that some viewed his highly conservative beliefs as controversial, no one ever deserves to be a victim of political violence for having opinions. The moment that Americans resort to brutally executing each other as a way of venting political frustrations is the moment that democracy dies, and we allow ourselves to fall victim to anarchy and disorder. Of all the things at risk in this tumultuous hour, the loss of freedom of speech and belief is perhaps the most dangerous. When a father is ripped from his family because of his beliefs, there should be greater concern for the vicious state of our political environment than the controversy of a man’s beliefs.
Kirk leaves behind a wife and two children, the youngest of which being only one year old. As America becomes more and more ideologically extreme, the risk of political violence grows exponentially. Kirk’s death has momentarily united leading figures from both ends of the political spectrum in mourning, but it remains to be seen how long that unity — and the memory of Kirk’s death — will prevent politicians from clashing once again.
Political disagreements are inevitable, but how we approach them ultimately determines the level of respectability we maintain in our political environments. America must never become a society where we confront our divisions with violence. We must endeavor to fight back against political polarization and cease political violence, no matter the views or beliefs of the victim.
