I'm going to wait for more news before saying more, but I'll say this: whatever the shooter was hoping to accomplish, you just magnified Charlie Kirk's message 100 fold because he's either gonna die a martyr or live to be a hero
It almost seems like the people that hate Trump are trying to create the situation where a strong man will be given the powers they claim Trump wants. Its kinda wild. People are so bought into one side or the other that they apparently can't see this.
Some morons on the right are even suggesting that any trans person should not be PERMITTED to own a gun. The vary logic that has been used on the right for decades and they have opposed. You couldn't write a better script for building a totalitarian movement walking ahead with the left and the right feet taking us further and further away from freedom and prosperity.
Sure seems that way. But I am reminded that this is still very rare. Most people are not violent. I pray that we will see that escalation is not the answer.
As a Republican there are some things I agree with and others I think he's just wrong. Peoples inability to be wrong and crash out over not being right is a huge issue. Charlie always came prepared to debates and had articles, paper, data, etc. backing him up. He didn't just sprout random stuff that came to mind
Even though I did not agree with Kirk on many things, and I even found his attitude smarmy and a bit condescending, he at least came with ready arguments. It's not his fault that his opponents weren't equally prepared.
That being said, arguing against college students is like dunking on schoolchildren.
But whatever you think of Kirk, nothing justifies killing him... FFS!
We are living in a war zone and pretending it is something else other than that. People are shocked into momentary awareness, then fall back asleep. The war isn't going to stop because people fall asleep.
To me this is an even bigger shock than Trump assassination attempt
It actually worked
He was 31
He wasn't even a politician. Just some influencer with a podcast and YT channel and who liked to argue with college kids. We at the point of assassinating influencers now? That feels like something that would happen in Iran or something.
Butler had much higher security, since it was a presidential candidate. IIRC the shooter was actually killed at the scene by a sniper.
Dude today was just an influencer on a college campus. You shouldn't f***Ing need snipers, or even any security at all, in sane times. But we don't live in sane times.
Situational awareness is a good first step. Before a thing happens, there are usually multiple kinds of events signaling there could be trouble. Notice those signs, and act accordingly.
This is the third assassination in the US this year that comes to mind (the insurance guy and the politician in MN who was killed). I don't remember any in the years prior. Yes, there were assorted attempts, but this feels very different.
Escalation very much feels in the air. Even how (some) people were actually celebrating Luigi Mangione (sp?) just felt.... off. Like it shouldn't be like this.
Yes! We have to battle to keep our values at the center of our hearts and minds. For me that is the words of Jesus. We are tempted to take the worst of the sides that are screaming and only take the best of our side. Its not helpful. Jesus taught that we should love our enemies. The social media space is showing us over and over again how dark the hearts can be. Kinda wild to see what people are posting. Its not winning people over to their side. Its clearly hate. Hate will not stop hate. We must resist that temptation and pray for the love of Jesus.
I've been concerned about stuff like this for a long time. I feel sick thinking about it. The enemy is at work spreading hatred and divisions. I do think the answer is Jesus and that the church has to show a better way and be better than we have been in doing so.
Didn't he have kids? They lost their father because college kids don't know how to debate... (pretty sure that's all Charlie Kirk was really known for, debating college students)
I still remember an incident, many years ago, when a conservative influencer was sucker punched on live camera, and the left was cheering it as "punch a nazi"... I forgot who it was at the time...
increasingly it seems like they are choosing to not fight with words but with violence
I remember that as well. The irony of opposing a political movement because of its hate and lack of civility and then doing exactly what you accuse them of is mind blowing. But, its not new. Its been the case for most of my life.
Is this a reliable source? Not seeing any updates from any big news outlet.