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Regardless of party, anyone who dehumanizes political opponents is extremely dangerous. This is the mindset that fuels shootings, assassinations and wars (eventually).

Agreed. There's no excuse for assassination.

Thank you. Did you read this passage: "You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won't have a single gun death. That is nonsense. It's drivel. But I am, I, I — I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights" He was a radical evangelical Christian who believed that killing to protect God given rights as he saw them was a fair trade. No mention of needing the second to defend against rape, lynchings, pedophilia, etc. And for school shootings his plan was more guns in schools. If you want to think he was the right man for the times have at it.

Well actually there is a GOP action plan to protect kids in America. The MAHA plan for healthier kids includes 128 ideas, but few details "The Make America Healthy Again Commission, led by Kennedy, identified four potential drivers behind rising rates of chronic disease among children, including poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity and chronic stress, as well as "overmedicalization" – which the commission describes as "a concerning trend of overprescribing medications to children." Well yes it is because for MAGA, Trump, Christian nationalists the silence over the largest killer of American children is absolute. For third straight year, firearms killed more children and teens, ages 1 to 17, than any other cause including car crashes and cancer The hypocrisy of conservatives is absolute.

Now there’s a mantra. So your silence after the targeting of Democratic people in Minnesota, the kidnapping attempt on Gretchen Whitmer in Wisconsin, are also violence? Wendy P.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. The following is a copy and paste job, not my work.... Charlie Kirk said: “It was huge mistake to pass the Civil Rights Act back in 1964.” That is his exact quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk said: “Jewish money is ruining American culture.” That is his exact quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk also said: “Gay people are destructive, and they should be put to death.” Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. On national television. Charlie Kirk also stated, one hour after a tragic school shooting in Lewistown that left 26 dead: “I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” Re-read that sentence, above. Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk also stated this: “We have to tell our babies to stop crying.” Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. He was discussing the starvation of those in Gaza. Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk also stated this: "I can't stand the word empathy. I think empathy is a made up New Age term that does a lot of damage.” Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. Murder for political reasons is ALWAYS wrong. Always. My heart sincerely goes out to his wife, and his two children. They did not deserve any of this. They are innocent.

Given that Trump is literally banning words, and banning museums from representing history - your ire is misplaced. He may well have been the best of some group you are picturing. He was not the best of Americans. The best of Americans work to unite the country and prevent violence, not divide the country and foment violence.

The man himself stated publicly and on the record that some people being assassinated by firearms was a fair trade for second amendment gun rights that could be used to defend the will of God. While I continue to wish these gun deaths weren't a part of our daily life, the degree to which I am horrified by this assassination is a whole lot less than I am for the types of gun deaths he thought were the fair trade.

All Americans should horrified by this assassination.

Wrong Timothy McVeigh single handily puts the killed and injured by the right on top by a factor of ten.

It's not violent leftists or rightists it's that we are all violent animals who are barely under control on our good days. That nature is easily combined with our other true natures of stupidity, gullibility, tribalism, and irritability. Stir or shake, it doesn't matter, and out comes another homicide.

Maybe there's a lesson there.

Now do the body count on each side.

Facebook is now being filled up with Charlie Kirk quotations. And they don't flatter him at all. Especially his views on empathy, which apparently is a made up word. I feel empathy for his wife and children, is that enough or does it mean I'm a left wing radical terrorist?

And their work is complete. Yet another person who could engage in dialog now sees others only as either like minded or enemies. Wendy P.

Melissa Hortman says you're full of shit. Because we all know there's no such thing as being not MAGA enough. On this forum? Wake me up when any Democrat Senators start laughing about Kirk's murder in public, as happened with at least one prominent Republican after the Minnesota killings. Anyway as said to Jay have you no respect for his loved ones in this difficult time? Have you no self respect? This is the time for thoughts and prayers to his family, not cheap and cynical political point scoring. For shame, sir!

Charlie Kirk put himself center stage in the effort to overthrow a democratically elected government in favour of a would be tyrant, and why would anyone think he wasn't ready to do it again? According to Kirk, his own murder is not just the cost of doing business with the second amendment, it's the reason the second amendment was written.

Sure there is, according to future victims, but only if as a price paid for the protection of god given rights that curtail other rights belonging to unbelievers.

That transcript outlines what the NRA has used as its arguments for the last several decades. Prior to today I'd never heard of Charlie Kirk and I feel very sorry for his two innocent young children. Charlie Kirk was a political fraud. He sold "open dialogue" and open debate as his come on for his political activism. For his podcasts and his personal political business. But as a Christian nationalist, racist, misogynist, influence peddler, conspiracy peddler and anti-science MAGA trafficker. He did everything possible to steal the rights and freedoms of others. To entrench his rights and that of conservative Christians over all other Americans. The election was stolen,the deep state of enemy liberals must be destroyed, Blacks are inherently violent people, if you're not for Christ the government should not be for you and on and on. This is what he peddled in his podcasts, his interviews and this new movie business. He sowed division and hate. He was no Christian, no example of a good citizen, he fed hate and race baiting. Fuck him. "Its not the guns" is mostly right. Political assassinations in the US arises because of the actions of redistricting. Of labelling the other party, the other group, race, etc. as the enemy. Of the use of the department of justice to attack your enemies. They arise because groups of religious and political activists are using political power to steal rights and freedoms from others who are not a part of their political group. This is not the first assassination and until the winner take all strategy ends they will become more common. For those that incite the violence, fuck them too.

I greive for the loss of life, but not for him as an individual / activist. I was called a Republican today because I wanted him to survive. If wanting him to survive makes me a republican...then so be it.

Several politicians in Utah have stood tall subsequent to the Kirk shooting by calling for calm. Furthermore they are republicans. "Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah built a political brand as the Republican antidote for an age of anger, imploring a divided United States to “disagree better” through civil discussions and bridge-building service projects....Mr. Cox walked in front of the television cameras to make his highest-profile plea to date against the rising tide of political violence that had just crashed into his backyard.... several leaders in Utah echoed Mr. Cox’s appeal to tamp down the overheated political rhetoric, reflecting the state’s self-image as a bastion of a kinder, gentler conservatism. Former Gov. Gary Herbert, whom Mr. Cox served as lieutenant governor, said he hoped the moment would serve as a “wake-up call.” “We should not get so angry that we feel like we have to win the argument or kill them,” said Mr. Herbert, who also made compromise a key tenet of his term and now runs an institute at Utah Valley University — the same college where Mr. Kirk was killed — that teaches young people about moral character in politics.' Compare this with FOX a broadcaster who cheered for hours when a CNBC commentator was fired for his truthful comments about Kirk's character and political position. FOX went on:“They are at war with us, whether we want to accept it or not,” Jesse Watters, the right-wing Fox News commentator, said on his broadcast on Wednesday. He added that “we are going to avenge Charlie’s death in the way that Charlie wanted to be avenged.” Echoing Trump's calls for vengeance and retribution for the killing. Not only are they moderating voices but undoubtedly Christian as well this being Utah after all. It will take more than Mr Cox to restore calm but perhaps hope is out there.

The repercussions are bound to be coming soon. The extreme right has always been violent. now we have.....Laura Loomer warned that “More people will be murdered if the Left isn’t crushed with the power of the state,” Open season starts now.

"Representative Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, standing in front of a circle of reporters, directly blamed Democrats and the news media for Kirk’s shooting,... Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina said “People need to be responsible for themselves, that’s what this is about,” she said, adding: “I hope and pray that we bring the death penalty back and whomever did this gets a swift justice and a bullet to the head just like Charlie did.” MAGA republicans milking it for all its worth.

Like the 877 kids shot dead so far this year in the USA. Not a lot of outrage from the right about them. Yet an outspoken fascist gets shot and you'd think the sky fell.

Where were you when Melissa Hortman was assassinated?

Maybe someone can explain why I should care about the shooting death of a gun advocate who said a few gun deaths are "worth it" and "I can't stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that — it does a lot of damage."

Melissa Hortman still says you're full of shit. And those are the only ones? Seriously? You can't even remember Charlottesville as an attack? You can't even remember Jan fucking 6 as a riot? What reality do you live in? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_terrorism#Further_reports a) Not an anchor. b) Not an elected representative c) Didn't joke or laugh about it. d) So he was fired. Has Senator Lee faced any repercussions from the right for openly celebrating the assassination of Democrat politicians? Did he even lose his committee chair? Or did the Republicans not care one bit about it, just as you don't care?

I interpreted this as jaybird saying "he was the best of MAGA (or conservatism)", which makes the bar pretty low, but maybe he was, who am I to dispute that?

Agree everything he and his wife espoused was White Christian nationalism . Turning Point was all about his facade of Christianity to legitimize the worst of MAGA politics. Erika Kirk was an active participant in Turning Point USA, She gave introductions for her husband, gave personal speeches at Turning Point events, had her own personal podcasts and was active politically in the MAGA movement.

Not if the expectation is penetrating their beliefs and seeding in a dose of reality, especially when they start with the old dark heart of fallen man horseshit. I do think there is value in in calling it out, however.

The fuck he was.