America has forgotten how to disagree, and we are more divided than ever. Charlie Kirk, the most recent casualty of the deep divisions in American society, has brought attention to this issue — but it is more pressing than many realize.
On Sept. 10, Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk was a co-founder of Turning Point USA, a non-profit organization that advocates for conservative policies on high school and college campuses, often through open debates.
Kirk’s views were polarizing, and often very extreme, but he claimed to want to engage those he disagreed with and debate across aisles.
Immediately after the shooting, bipartisan condemnation poured in: from Democratic leaders like Joe Biden and Gavin Newsome, and also from the Trump administration.
On the far right, however, fingers were quick to be pointed. Many conservatives declared “war,” called for retribution and blamed the left. Conservative influencer Laura Loomer went as far as to post on her X account: “Debate time is over. You ended it.”
Many on the left reacted in similarly polarizing ways. Social media was flooded with posts claiming that Kirk “got what he deserved” or was a victim of what he preached, referencing his highly controversial opinions on gun ownership.
Neither of these reactions are helpful or constructive. They are both divisive, vilifying those on the other side of the aisle. It is polarization like this that causes violence and has killed so many, Kirk being only the latest victim.
These deep divisions in American society are very troubling. Kirk was killed by someone who fundamentally disagreed with him. It is totally okay, in fact it is essentially American, to disagree.
Free speech is a pillar of American society, and debates over all aspects of government and social life are an American tradition as old as our country. Yet today, guns, violence or the block button are used in the place that our forefathers used their words. We are so divided, and it will only grow.
None of us are innocent. We live in a world where everything we take in is tailored to our views, furthering our beliefs and placing us in inescapable echo chambers where our opinions get louder and louder as everything else fades. Political influencers take advantage of this and use it to their advantage. Conservative activist Candace Owens has been using her platform to spread divisive propaganda, claiming that somehow Israel and the Mossad are behind Kirk’s murder and also control the FBI. The promotion of polarizing conspiracies like these is not only disrespectful to Kirk’s memory, as he is still a human, but also dangerous for America.
Kirk’s death is not a right vs. left issue – it is an American issue. It represents the collapse of our American social norms. If polarization gets to a point where violence becomes the typical answer, we are pretty much done for. We are not there yet, but Kirk’s death must be a warning sign. We have to stop blocking what we don’t like, we have to come together and we cannot let politicians separate us. We have to keep talking and engaging with each other. When we stop using words, violence fills the silence.
