Would it help to tamp down the rage?
America’s political Left is frantically attempting to disown the killer of Charlie Kirk, if they’re not actually celebrating and trash talking.
Fellow Madison blogger Gregory Humphrey has allowed the current President to drive him cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Greg reposts a meme contending that “The right-winger who didn’t want Charlie Kirk to speak did what right wingers do and shot him.”
Accused assassin Tyler Robinson is a right winger? How does one misinterpret “Hey, fascist! Catch!” inscribed on one of the 30-.06 cartridges? Or “Bella ciao”(goodbye, beautiful)” from an Italian anti-Mussolini song?
Greg’s post exonerates the left, “who didn’t want Charlie Kirk to speak [and] did what leftists do: they signed petitions, started a protest, and lined up to challenge him.”
Doesn’t “They didn’t want Charlie Kirk to speak” tell you anything? Preventing speech is the problem! Almost 1,000 faculty and students signed a petition to ban his ideas from a place of learning. Did those leftist students “line up to challenge him”? Yes they did, and only because Charlie Kirk invites the opportunity to “Prove Me Wrong.” Try doing that at, say, an Angela Davis event.
As for what leftists do, maybe Greg forgot burning cities, tearing down statues of abolitionists, bombing the Army-Math Building on campus, defunding police, fire-bombing the City County Building, and beating legislators — just here in Madison WI, alone, not that long ago.
If anything, Charlie Kirk was a missionary, spreading his gospel of Christ and conservatism to that heathen land, our college campuses. Now he’s a martyr.
Both sides now
The Right does not have clean hands. The President — himself, twice the target of assassination attempts — whitewashes the insurrectionists who battered police while chanting Hang Mike Pence to overturn an election. The attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, et cetera. All felt justified by their anger.
As for both sides being heard — where? Not on Ms. Vicki. Not on Dan O’Donnell, nor on MSNBC, nor on Fox News (after Bret Baier signs off). Nowhere in The Capital Times or The Nation, and likely not on your personalized social media/podcast feed. All stoke the coals of permanent rage.
→ “Rage sells better than sex.” — Scott Galloway
Fellow named Cenk Uygar once had a program on MS-“DNC” (as Republicans call it.) But even he can say:
I talked to some right-wing friends today and realized one of the biggest problems — they’re only seeing the crazies that are saying disgusting things about Charlie Kirk’s death. And that’s understandably driving rage. … We don’t have to agree with what Charlie said. We don’t have to change our minds on anything. But in a situation like this, where a young man with a family dies tragically, basic decency requires our side to say — and to mean — we’re so sorry for your loss.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: The point here is the progressive talking head has conservative friends! How many here in the peanut gallery have progressive … acquaintances? (Scott Grabins started that kind of dialogue a decade ago but it petered out.)
If J.D. Vance is atop the ticket in 2028, we hope he considers Utah Gov. Spencer Cox as his running mate. “Social media is a cancer on our society right now,” Gov. Cox said.
It feels like rage is the only option. But … we can choose a different path. … I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member, go out and do good in your community. — Gov. Cox, “Is this a turning point for our country?”
We talked about joining the Lions Club, volunteering at the food pantry, joining a golf league, and treating you at the parish beer tent.
10 responses to “Are we at a Turning Point, USA?”
I have eight close friends; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers with whom I served fifty years ago. All of them are Progressives. All of them are productive, well educated excellent human beings. We would give each other a kidney if necessary.
We don’t agree on politics but we don’t have to agree. We are friends.
I got into a surprisingly heated conversation over Covid with yet another Progressive, long held pal and when he started to aplologize I told him it wasn’t necessary because I knew his heart and I loved him for it.
We have a lot of history and know each other well. All these folks have hearts of gold.
Good post Madisonexpat. I’m in the same position: most of my friends– even my wife, are progressives. And yes, most are of the wingnut-type. We’ve covered all that ground over the years to the point now where it’s just understood where we are at politically and we don’t really engage in that stuff much anymore. With that said they are warm caring and otherwise wonderful people. I’m lucky to have them as friends!
I’m an occasional reader and commenter of Humphrey’s blog. I thought better of him than this, but perhaps I shouldn’t have.
We just can’t stand to live in the most prosperous, peaceful time in history. There’s something in humans that needs a great enemy to fight.
So an out of control mob becomes an “Insurrection”.
A political opponent becomes a “Nazi”.
A large rock becomes the return of the “KKK”.
I think this is why it’s important for people to have and raise children, a legitimate monumental task. Those people don’t have time for the bullshit.
Great post!
” We don’t have to change our minds on anything. But in a situation like this, where a young man with a family dies tragically, basic decency requires our side to say — and to mean — we’re so sorry for your loss.”
Basic decency is in short supply in The Emerald City. A liberal who I consider to be a good friend, said to me “Political violence is always wrong, but I have a hard time feeling bad for that guy.” I won’t go into the details of our interaction after that but suffice to say I made it clear that I disapproved of the sentiment completely. He didn’t challenge my retort nor defend his comment. He listened while I made the point that I consider AOC and Bernise Sanders to be horrible people but would be appalled if they were murdered for their politics. He nodded and said nothing. I thought I had at least given him something to think about. I was wrong. A conservative friend saw him later talking with two mutual friends (also liberal.) High fives and celebration ensued. Careful to always condemn political violence of any kind! But gee it was pretty good to have it happen to THAT guy. “He was a fascist who spewed hate. Everything he said was hateful.”
Yeah, I think we can all agree Charlie Kirk was no George Floyd.
Everyone that could celebrate Charlie Kirk murder never listened to a word he said. Similar to the hate spewed at Rush Limbaugh; those that knew all about him had never listened to him.
When Conservatives rise no one has to board up State St.
I think you’re forgetting all the breaking windows & doors, tearing things down, and shitting on desks at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BJdDcs6Zh/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Agree Governor Cox said the words we absolutely needed to hear. We have to stop insulting one another on social media. And, I will admit I have done it. Potus’s rhetoric continues to inflame the fires. Will one GOP leader step up to call him out?