Killing Charlie

We have all been reeling from the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. He was a hero to some, and a villain to others. I didn’t know about him until I heard the story of his assassination. Based on information that has been disclosed, the assassin, Tyler Robinson, was very much intent on killing Charlie. For what reason, no one knows. 

To gain a deeper understanding of who he was, I searched online and found numerous videos discussing his thoughts. I found some to be interesting, while others were offensive. As an African American, some of his thoughts were so offensive that I couldn’t believe that someone would be saying stuff like that.

But, like it or not, that is exactly why we live in a free country, and each of us has that freedom of expression so each of us can say whatever we want to say without any fear. Yes, no freedom is absolute; we understand that. However, as long as I don't abuse that freedom, I can express myself and my thoughts in any way I like. And Charlie, in fact, used that freedom in the best way he thought he could. 

It isn’t surprising that millions of people really liked what he said. They themselves couldn’t see themselves saying what he said, and so they applauded him for saying what they themselves couldn’t say. And those who didn’t like what he said did tune out. But all respected his right to say what he says - apart from Tyler Robinson.

The fact of the matter is, I may disagree with what you say, but I must respect your dignified right to express your opinion. 

I remember being a young seminarian assigned to a parish in a small town in my native Ghana. I didn’t have a TV set, and many people in the town didn’t own one either. Since I couldn’t visit different homes to watch my favorite TV show, one that was on CNN, I found a hotel in the next big town that had a TV, and they always had theirs set on CNN. 

The ride from the little town to the big town was about an hour, but I traveled to the big town almost every day to watch the unfolding Bill Clinton saga on CNN. 

To many people and the detractors of Bill Clinton, the system was working, and that was a good thing. They forgot that it is human beings like you and me who turn on the wheels of the system. And depending on who is managing the system, it can be skewed in any direction. 

As I watched the whole thing happen on CNN, the real question was how and why do people take great delight in the destruction of other people? Yes, he may have abused his freedom, but did we have to take him through all of that? I don’t think so. What amuses me is that the acolytes of those years now seem to think that we now have a saint cast in the mold of St. Francis or Mother Teresa. 

The events of that time highlighted the destructive nature of the term political enemies. Guess what - if we take away the political, what we are left with is an enemy. And the truth is, most people don’t really see the political; they only see an enemy. 

I don’t watch or play video games, but we have learned from video games that an enemy deserves to be destroyed. We go to great lengths to destroy that enemy. For the detractors of Bill Clinton, he was an enemy that needed to be destroyed. And for Tyler, Charlie was an enemy that needed to be destroyed - and the method of destruction was not as important as the destruction itself. The goal was the destruction of the enemy.

But why, and for what?

Hear the words of Reverend Samuel Wells: “Enemies don’t stop being enemies, but there’s a way to relate to enemies that doesn’t seek their destruction.” 

If the point of all our politics is to serve the common good, then the difference between a Republican and a Democrat is simply a different means by which they can serve that common good. It is a means by which we can reach the same outcome - that is, if the goal is to serve the common good. 

If the goal is to serve the common good, how then can a neighbor be described as an enemy?

Indeed, it may not be as simple as I am making it out to be, but at the core of it all is a simple, uncomplicated way of serving others. And if it is our desire for service that drives us into public life, then why should we be acting as if we are on the battlefield? 

Hear this: unless the goal of seeking public office is for domination of another person, politics shouldn’t be a battlefield strewn with blood. It should be like a playground where every object is for the enjoyment of everyone. 

In fact, no philosophical argument is worth your life or anyone’s life. 

Part of my love for watching CNN stemmed from my fondness for Crossfire. I loved Pat Buchanan, Paul Begala, James Carville, Tucker Carlson, Bob Novak, and the other hosts. They debated issues and ideas, and that was it. I wonder if these people are currently friends, or if they have drifted apart from each other because of the hardening of their core beliefs over time. 

But one thing I learned from them was this: no argument is worth killing another person, no matter how passionate you are about your beliefs, and as reasonable people, we can always find the middle ground that honors our beliefs and provides a pragmatic solution to the daily challenges of people. 

The reality is that many of the arguments we fight over have been advanced by people on both sides for generations. Many of the people who have been on either side of these arguments are dead, those of us who are presently arguing will die, and those who will argue in the future will also die. Yes, these arguments shape society, but life is more valuable than these arguments. And it is always better to let those ideas speak for themselves-don’t let violence speak for you. 

Although we are all different, we are equal. And this conundrum of not being the same but equal often incites a competitive edge within us. We want to see winners and losers. And that’s what competition does to us. But life should be about comradeship and not competition. 

Should we compete, we must compete over ideas, and those ideas must ultimately advance the common good. Any idea that doesn’t uplift all of God’s creation isn’t worth anyone’s time and effort. If you want to discuss ideas, let's talk about how we can build a better society. Talk to me about how we can educate children for the next technological revolution. Talk to me about how we can improve test scores so others do not have to profit from the prison system. Talk to me about a future where we are still leading in the cutting edge of technology. Talk to me about how we can support families that are struggling. Talk to me about how we can ensure that everyone has access to healthcare. Talk to me about how we can solve the mental health crisis. Talk to me about how we can reach out to distressed communities. Talk to me about hungry neighbors. Talk to me about the crisis in Gaza and other war-torn areas. Talk to me about the immigrants and refugees who are escaping intolerable violence. Talk to me about comradeship, and how together, we can help solve some of the challenges of ordinary people. Talk to me. Talk to me about solutions to problems. 

If you want to talk to me, talk to me about compassion because I know that acts of compassion light a path through someone’s darkest moment. Not only do we have a lot of people going through dark moments, but the darkest moments of people should be of ultimate concern to everyone. Remember, we are about the business of human dignity, and our compassionate acts tell more about being comrades than competitors. 

Competition creates winners and losers, and by extension, enemies. Comradeship doesn’t. Comradeship is about seeing yourself through the eyes of others. It is about a deep commitment to work with others for a common purpose.

Someone recently sent me this quote: Whether we agree or disagree with the words a man speaks, we must never lose sight of his humanity nor forget the sacred dignity that lives within each and every person.  We must not allow righteous anger to harden into hatred, nor trade the dream of America for the nightmare of division. With this in mind, it is my prayer that the killing of Charlie will ignite a new sense of comradeship among all of us.

Agree or disagree, we are in this together because no one is going out of this world alive. You may have heard this saying: If you lose your wealth, you lose nothing. If you lose your health, you lose something. If you lose your values and character, you lose everything.

Make sure you don’t lose everything. Hold on to those things that matter: values and character. That's how we can hold life together, even in times of turmoil. 

Manny+