Member-only story
The Stranger & the Death of Debate
The horrific killing of Charlie Kirk has left me unsettled. Like many, I didn’t know how to process it, let alone write about it.
The video of his assassination was shared with me – I watched it once, and won’t watch it again. A 200-foot shot with a long gun is neither easy nor hard. But it disgusted me, as did our media’s instant polarised speculation into his motive,s user stor,y and voting tendencie.s
Like many, including my friend David, I had never heard Charlie speak until after his death. He was a powerful debater and well-spoken, reminding me a lot of the young people I grew up with in Orange County—smart, religious conservatives who were eloquent and skilled at debate. I disagreed with them vehemently, but as a young punk rock kid, the debate sharpened my critical thinking skills, and occasionally their dissent helped me change my mind or better understand the basis and philosophical underpinnings of my views. I’ve blogged about this before.
As a society, we must be able to engage in healthy debates. Like David, I’d love to see debate teams reborn at local schools. Yet this heinous killing has frightened millions more into silence. My own adult daughters talk about hiding their Jewishness and political views (one is likely a fan the other most definitely not) because of fear. This is not a path to freedom and happiness.
