Da'Jae Allen 
A shooting has, once again, divided the nation. This time the act in question involves the death of Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist, who was targeted and killed during a rally at Utah Valley University. Conservatives and right-wing influences paint Kirk, as someone who was loved by all and didn’t believe in violence. A portion of the left has remained empathetic and urges people not to celebrate violence. However, a significant portion of Americans do not feel sorry for Kirk at all.
At one of his speeches in 2023, Kirk said, “I think it’s worth having 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. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.” The irony of this statement becomes chilling when you consider that on the very same day as Kirk’s death, another school shooting occurred in the United States, underscoring just how routine such tragedies have become.
Here are some additional quotes from Kirk that illustrate his political and social beliefs.
“I’m sorry, if I see a Black pilot, I’m gonna be like ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”
“Remember what BLM stands for: Burn, loot, and murder.”
“I don’t think the place [Palestine] exists.”
And this is not even all-encompassing. Many believe Kirk to have been a womanizer, a racist, a Zionist, an extremist, a propagandist, and an apologist for violence… All identities that can be traced directly to his own words. Kirk has publicly made remarks that reveal his disregard for gun violence, his willingness to demean Black professionals, his dismissal of movements for racial justice, and his outright denial of Palestinian identity.
Taken together, these statements show a pattern of rhetoric that normalizes racism, undermines social justice movements, and justifies violence in the name of ideology. It’s a hard reality to live in, but it is the reality. And part of that reality is the fact that these groups of people, whom he constantly vilified or demeaned, have no obligation to feel remorse or sadness for the events that unfolded. Honestly, who can expect that of them? Political activist Zellie Mani calls it for what it is on Twitter. “Charlie Kirk isn’t a martyr, he’s a casualty of the violence he incites.”
If you are having a hard time dealing with not feeling how you think you are supposed to, @therapyJeff on TikTok says, “You are not obligated to manufacture sorrow for someone who never extended any to you, your community, or people you care about. You can hold both ‘I don’t wish this on anyone’ and ‘I don’t feel sad about this either’. That is not cruelty, that is honesty.”
What is cruel is the cycle of violence that continues to devastate families and communities across the country. Gun violence must be confronted with real accountability and meaningful reform. Our thoughts are with the two young children Kirk leaves behind, and even more so with the victims and families impacted by the Evergreen High School shooting that unfolded the very same day.
By Da’Jae Allen, Junior, Howard University
Instagram: @dajae.10
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