The Charlie Kirk assassination is that little dot on the map of gun deaths in 2025.

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— Krassensteins (@krassenstein.bsky.social) September 13, 2025 at 8:16 AM

*Note from the Author: I want to make something perfectly clear: regardless of political sides and religious beliefs, nobody deserves to be shot and killed for speaking their opinions. His wife and children have experienced a horrific loss that they will forever grieve. Everybody at that rally will be processing what they bore witness to, and I feel a great deal of empathy and compassion for everyone involved. It was another tragic day in the USA.

Please, let’s not make Charlie Kirk a martyr or a hero.

Within hours of Charlie Kirk’s death, the political blame began.

Assumptions immediately jumped toward a political assassination and likely that is the case, but maybe not. Until an investigation is complete and the truth unfolds, unfounded claims and accusations help nobody. What we do know is that he was shot, he was shot with a gun that he believed everyone had a right to carry, even if those guns have killed and wounded people in devastating numbers every year. It’s the price to pay for the right to bare arms.

There are a lot of hateful and angry people in this world and that anger is at boiling point. Those who carry the same beliefs as Charlie are angry, and those who are against them are angry as well. People are shouting “he spoke the truth and you can’t deny the truth.” Charlie Kirk spoke his truth and that is not necessarily the truth.

And whilst there are many people out there who believe in Charlie’s truth, there are equally as many completely against it. The only absolute here is that he divided people. Free speech is one thing; discriminatory, bigoted and pejorative speech comes with responsibilities and consequences. Words matter and there is a cost to everything that comes out of our mouths.

People’s outrage at his death is valid. But on the other hand, outrage at him and what he stood for are also valid.

Two things can be equally valid at the same time, depending on what side of the fence you sit (and I don’t mean political fence—I simply mean the beliefs you hold).

Those that love him say he was right. They say he loved a good debate and gave those he debated the opportunity to speak. Many loved his stance on guns and abortion. They admired his religious and racist views. On the opposite side of the fence, his debating skills were questioned as he chose who he would debate. They loath his stance on guns and abortions and despised his religious and racist views. As seen in the outpouring of commentary flooding social media.

Charlie didn’t believe in empathy, “I can’t stand the word empathy, actually I think empathy is a made-up, new age term, that does a lot of damage,” he remarked during The Charlie Kirk show on Oct 12, 2022 and showed little throughout his public life. The debate that stands out for me and is doing the rounds on a multitude of social media platforms, was when he was asked if his daughter was raped and fell pregnant at age 10, would he make her have the baby? His answer an unequivocal yes. Those on his side of the fence with the same religious views will agree, those of us on the other side, are sickened by such an abhorrent answer. The thought of a man putting his daughter’s life at risk and expecting her to live with that trauma for the rest of her life, is the very definition of cruel.

I doubt medical professionals or psychologists would think this is anything but physically and mentally dangerous.

Charlie is not a hero.

He was not a man of compassion or grace. The fact is, had this been another death, he would not be showing any empathy. He would mock the very people pouring their sadness out about his death. It’s an uncomfortable truth, to realise, that he would not have cared about the death of any of those mourning his death.

If the many debates and interviews, easily accessed online, are an accurate portrayal of his beliefs, he advocated for a world with guns, no matter the innocent lives lost. In a 2023 interview he said, “I think it’s worth it, to unfortunately have some gun deaths each year, so we can have the 2nd amendment to protect our other God given rights. That is prudent.” A world where women don’t deserve bodily autonomy, as clearly evidenced in his very public pro-life stance. A world where his religious views, seem to be front and centre, which is his right, but like him, we get to choose our faith and religious beliefs. Freedom of speech is great, when we understand the consequences of our words. Inciting debate can be beneficial when we recognise our words could also incite division.

Whilst the world is abuzz at his death and the “thoughts and prayers” brigade are out in full force, I ask that we take a moment to recognise and pay equal respects to Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, in what was called a “politically motivated assassination.”

I ask that we pay equal respects to every school student murdered in mass school shootings. These people didn’t advocate for guns, nor did they speak any of the damaging and dividing words that Kirk spoke. Yet we choose to place this man on a pedestal, like his death was more important. Like his family is the only one grieving the loss of a loved one. Like his life was somehow deemed to be of more value.

What about all the other deaths? All the other lives lost at the hands of the very thing he so strongly fought to keep. These lives matter too.

I’m sure some of you have your metaphorical pitchforks out reading this, because emotions are high and beliefs are strong, which can make it difficult to see a different perspective. Seeing past our cognitive biases is no easy feat. We all need to take the time to reflect. We need to acknowledge all the things he said and how his words hurt others. The inability to understand the pain his words caused others, is indifference and apathy and we do not need more of that in our world.

So whilst some of you cry for Charlie Kirk and angrily defend him in his death, have a think about all the other innocent lives that have been lost this year and had no empathy shown to them by Charlie Kirk because they were just collateral damage to ensure he could carry a gun.

Have a think about what it would do to a 10-year-old girl to be raped, fall pregnant, and be forced to carry a child in her little body and give birth to the baby of the rapist who caused her so much pain. Or any rape victim for that matter.

I did not agree with most of what Charlie Kirk stood for, in fact much of it I despised and this is my truth. This is my freedom of speech. I don’t want to live in a world that isn’t inclusive. I don’t want to live in a world that forces women and girls to have babies. I don’t want to live in a world where kids get shot at school.

A world lacking empathy, is a dangerous world.

But I’m also saddened that a woman and two children have lost their husband and father. I’m saddened a human being lost his life. I’m saddened that the world is so angry and misguided that this sort of brutality has become a regular occurrence. And he died by the very hand he not only fed, but encouraged.

Let’s resist the temptation to let hate beget hate and violence beget violence.

But we can be honest. We can be truthful about his words. He said what he said and that was his choice and his right. He hurt who he hurt. He died expressing his views and words. It’s wrong to die for your opinions, but it’s also wrong to believe everyone else shares your views. He paid the ultimate price and that is devastating for those who loved him.

I hope the tragic death of Charlie Kirk finally teaches the USA something. Something better and lasting. Something that will actually make America great again. Something profound. The legacy of equality for all because hate and division is going to destroy not just a country, but the people inside. And despite Mr Kirk’s inability to show any real depth of empathy, perhaps the outpouring of empathy for his death, could spread.

And finally America could be the land of the free, for all its people, not just the chosen few.

RIP to all the gunshot victims.

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