A right-wing influencer and an integral part of the Trump propaganda machine, Charlie Kirk, was shot and killed at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University
Eloquent as always. Thank you for helping us face what is needed before the last of democracy is ceded to the greed and corruption that are the hallmarks of the US. And I love the trap door image!
The shooting yesterday in Evergreen high school where I reside for 31 yrs is a little hamlet in the Colorado Mtns. Where the shooter killed himself after critically injuring 2 students was shocking this area is wealthy with very low crime & highly rated schools a virtual little sweet town. I was a substitute teacher yrs ago & should have showed up for work day of the Columbine shooting thankfully I was called to another commitment the teacher I was going to sub for was killed! Then in Colorado another small town in Bailey a few yrs ago same type of shootings within the high school. I do believe it’s from the availability of guns to kids that are not fully matured. They need counseling in the schools other than one counselor per thousands of students and they need avenues to get help without their parents permission. This is an epidemic. It’s not just guns. It is the availability of guns to immature undeveloped minds which doctor say develop around 23 or 24 in young men. Guns acceptable for purposes ie… Hunting for food & in the right hands for defending yourself. I agree I should be stronger good laws. There are too many loopholes like back deal gun shows & weak mental checks & short waiting periods not to mention minimum criminal background checks & balances.
Thank you Julie, please don’t think I ignored that shooting. I have spoken of it in my piece for tomorrow. I did not want to diminish the importance of that event within this piece, preferring instead to use the fatal school shooting in Minneapolis as a reference point for readers.
I am 90% with you my friend! Id only ask for minimum aggravated weapon sentencing AND prohibitions in there somewhere (always a $ issue) and that counseling MUST be available to teens in need - but not taxpayer funded by/for, or AT the school. Clean budgets keep things transparent(ish)!
One of the most ironic deaths i have heard of. In the last breath of defending gun rights, was fatally shot. Still, Americans will always defend their guns! Isn’t that sick!?
Thank you for your honesty and straight forward truth. The hypocrisy in this country is sickening. I am not a Christian but if there is a hell....it's right here....right now. The irony of Kirk getting shot the same day there is another school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado! It seems our children are expendable, or collateral damage, as a racist, misogynist is made a martyr.
It's reprehensible that our pedo president has chosen the limelight again with the death of Kirk. Chump has made him a martyr for the right wing cause. It was all about chump. Yet no one knows who the shooter might be and if this was political or not. Might just be someone that hated Kirk; which was an easy thing to do. What chump is forgetting or probably just ignoring is that Kirk wanted the release of the Epstein files and was unabashedly crucified by chump for wanting that and saying that. So chumps playing everyone again. He doesn't care about Kirk because Kirk pissed him off. But he'll use him and his death to his benefit. Chump as well as Kirk are/were disgusting human beings. We must vote blue and get him and his cult out of the WH.
Damn! This article gave me goosebumps that I cannot shake off. This is the best commentary with additional facts I have read all morning. I wish every AMERICAN could read this. Excellent work, my hat is off to you.
He must have thought that he was insulated by his privilege and power. While I detest his murder and hope for the capture of his assassin, he was, to put it mildly not a good person. I can’t help but think in comparison a man like James Talerico. He opened up his Senate announcement in the most thoughtful manner possible. Without breathing fire or intentionally alienating those that would oppose him, he reminded us all that as far down as we have gone there is still a hope for every American to live out their lives in peace. In the most eloquent way possible he told us that its “time to start turning over some tables”. Quite the contrast to the usual dreck and poison espoused by Charlie Kirk. May the Eternal Light shine upon him.
Sad, but true. He preached a lot of hate and condoned violence. Live and die by the sword. Whipping up people who in some cases are barely holding their lives together. America is in melt down…hate begets hate. Violence begets violence. There was a school shooting in Colorado at almost the same time, where is the empathy for those kids.
As usual, you have spoken the truth! It is another sad day in this country where people love guns and espouse violence against those who don’t agree with them!
You are generally on point with this commentary. But I take issue with one sentence which is not worthy of you: “These are dark times, and I have to be honest, I will not shed a tear for Charlie Kirk.” Everyone wrongly and senselessly killed deserves our tears, as do their families.
Thanks Bill, honesty is my mantra here and I would be disingenuous were I not to make that point. I’m happy to move on in the knowledge he will spread no more hate. Would I wish him dead? Absolutely not. Do I feel sympathy for his wife and children? Absolutely I do.
As John Donne wrote: “Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Power ultimately rests not in the grip of presidents, generals, and billionaires, but in the hands of millions of ordinary people who keep society running smoothly on a day-to-day basis, and who can shut it down should they so choose. - Beautiful Trouble
Kirk's killer was an assassin who knows his (her? I doubt it) weapon, not a sick idiot with an AR. One target, no collateral damage. Still unacceptable! But yes it could have been much worse.
Eloquent as always. Thank you for helping us face what is needed before the last of democracy is ceded to the greed and corruption that are the hallmarks of the US. And I love the trap door image!
Thanks. You know me Laurie, I like to play with literary images.
The shooting yesterday in Evergreen high school where I reside for 31 yrs is a little hamlet in the Colorado Mtns. Where the shooter killed himself after critically injuring 2 students was shocking this area is wealthy with very low crime & highly rated schools a virtual little sweet town. I was a substitute teacher yrs ago & should have showed up for work day of the Columbine shooting thankfully I was called to another commitment the teacher I was going to sub for was killed! Then in Colorado another small town in Bailey a few yrs ago same type of shootings within the high school. I do believe it’s from the availability of guns to kids that are not fully matured. They need counseling in the schools other than one counselor per thousands of students and they need avenues to get help without their parents permission. This is an epidemic. It’s not just guns. It is the availability of guns to immature undeveloped minds which doctor say develop around 23 or 24 in young men. Guns acceptable for purposes ie… Hunting for food & in the right hands for defending yourself. I agree I should be stronger good laws. There are too many loopholes like back deal gun shows & weak mental checks & short waiting periods not to mention minimum criminal background checks & balances.
Thank you Julie, please don’t think I ignored that shooting. I have spoken of it in my piece for tomorrow. I did not want to diminish the importance of that event within this piece, preferring instead to use the fatal school shooting in Minneapolis as a reference point for readers.
amazing you were spared from the Columbine shooting. Must have been so upsetting to learn of the teacher's death.
I am 90% with you my friend! Id only ask for minimum aggravated weapon sentencing AND prohibitions in there somewhere (always a $ issue) and that counseling MUST be available to teens in need - but not taxpayer funded by/for, or AT the school. Clean budgets keep things transparent(ish)!
One of the most ironic deaths i have heard of. In the last breath of defending gun rights, was fatally shot. Still, Americans will always defend their guns! Isn’t that sick!?
Thank you for your honesty and straight forward truth. The hypocrisy in this country is sickening. I am not a Christian but if there is a hell....it's right here....right now. The irony of Kirk getting shot the same day there is another school shooting in Evergreen, Colorado! It seems our children are expendable, or collateral damage, as a racist, misogynist is made a martyr.
You’re very welcome and these are very dangerous times my friend
It's reprehensible that our pedo president has chosen the limelight again with the death of Kirk. Chump has made him a martyr for the right wing cause. It was all about chump. Yet no one knows who the shooter might be and if this was political or not. Might just be someone that hated Kirk; which was an easy thing to do. What chump is forgetting or probably just ignoring is that Kirk wanted the release of the Epstein files and was unabashedly crucified by chump for wanting that and saying that. So chumps playing everyone again. He doesn't care about Kirk because Kirk pissed him off. But he'll use him and his death to his benefit. Chump as well as Kirk are/were disgusting human beings. We must vote blue and get him and his cult out of the WH.
You’ll get no pushback from me Peggy
Live by the sword; die by the sword.
Didn’t want to use that term as the title I’m afraid
Damn! This article gave me goosebumps that I cannot shake off. This is the best commentary with additional facts I have read all morning. I wish every AMERICAN could read this. Excellent work, my hat is off to you.
You’re very kind my friend. There’s always more under the hood, you just have to go searching - Martin
You are doing the hard work, thank you.
He must have thought that he was insulated by his privilege and power. While I detest his murder and hope for the capture of his assassin, he was, to put it mildly not a good person. I can’t help but think in comparison a man like James Talerico. He opened up his Senate announcement in the most thoughtful manner possible. Without breathing fire or intentionally alienating those that would oppose him, he reminded us all that as far down as we have gone there is still a hope for every American to live out their lives in peace. In the most eloquent way possible he told us that its “time to start turning over some tables”. Quite the contrast to the usual dreck and poison espoused by Charlie Kirk. May the Eternal Light shine upon him.
I concur with your assessment 100%
Guarantee, he NEVER thought his words would effect him in any way! But, words have power and GOD is not a respecter of persons!
Yes, the Lord moves in mysterious ways as they say Deborah
Sad, but true. He preached a lot of hate and condoned violence. Live and die by the sword. Whipping up people who in some cases are barely holding their lives together. America is in melt down…hate begets hate. Violence begets violence. There was a school shooting in Colorado at almost the same time, where is the empathy for those kids.
As usual, you have spoken the truth! It is another sad day in this country where people love guns and espouse violence against those who don’t agree with them!
Rest assured it gives me no pleasure Judi. It was difficult to write because of the need to find the right balance in approach.
You are generally on point with this commentary. But I take issue with one sentence which is not worthy of you: “These are dark times, and I have to be honest, I will not shed a tear for Charlie Kirk.” Everyone wrongly and senselessly killed deserves our tears, as do their families.
Thanks Bill, honesty is my mantra here and I would be disingenuous were I not to make that point. I’m happy to move on in the knowledge he will spread no more hate. Would I wish him dead? Absolutely not. Do I feel sympathy for his wife and children? Absolutely I do.
As John Donne wrote: “Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Power ultimately rests not in the grip of presidents, generals, and billionaires, but in the hands of millions of ordinary people who keep society running smoothly on a day-to-day basis, and who can shut it down should they so choose. - Beautiful Trouble
https://aircraftblue.substack.com/p/you-say-you-want-a-revolution
Yes the trap door is the perfect ending.
Was it worth it, Charlie? 300 mass shootings so far, in 2025? The silver lining, one supposes, is that there was but one victim in Utah.
Kirk's killer was an assassin who knows his (her? I doubt it) weapon, not a sick idiot with an AR. One target, no collateral damage. Still unacceptable! But yes it could have been much worse.
We are visiting friends in the Cotswolds (no, not JZ and Bee et al) and a few days in London after.
Confidence comes from knowing your facts and you are expert at that. Accept an engagement and the accolades bound to follow.
Have a wonderful time. It’s a beautiful spot.