General Discussion

The outrage being expressed is real, the epidemic of gun violence, the attacks on elected officials (I get it, Kirk was not an elected official), the ease with which someone can kill someone else, these are urgent, frightening problems. I don’t have a simple solution. But none of that changes the fact that taking a life, or hand-waving it away when it happens to someone you despise, is wrong.

Call it assassination, call it murder, call it gun violence, the label matters less than the principle: killing someone for their beliefs or influence is a step toward normalizing fear and retaliation, and it corrodes our society. We can debate how much of an impact one death has on democracy, or compare tragedies, those points are valid. But the core truth remains: violence against people we disagree with undermines the very democracy we’re trying to protect.

We can and should be worried, but we also have to be consistent in our condemnation. Empathy for victims, regardless of politics, is not weakness, it’s what keeps society from turning revenge and hatred into policy.