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The Rhetoric of the Inhumane

A despicably insensitive comment is making its rounds on social media, so ignorant and disrespectful that I hesitate to even share it here. Let it stand here as still further evidence of the evils on display in Leftist echo chambers: “If Charlie Kirk were a first grader at school America would have moved on by now.”

Statistically speaking, more than one hundred and fifty thousand people died the day Charlie Kirk was assassinated: among those, at least 70 people were killed in Gaza by Israeli attacks, 35 died in Yemen due to Israeli bombings; 29 civilians died after Russian attacks around the Donetsk Oblast area, and Russian forces suffered 890 casualties, while Ukrainian military casualties also measured in the hundreds, all in the same twenty-four-hour period. 

Death is all around us. 

It is a constant, a sad reality of daily life and a consequence of lots of different forces and factors. 

As human beings, we mourn the losses in our own ways, some more publicly than others; and we typically mourn the losses of those who made an impact on our lives. Charlie Kirk is one such man who made an impact on the lives of millions, ours included. 

His influence touched people in various ways, spiritual and political, and based on the outpouring of tributes and testimonies about Charlie, and the changes people are just now beginning to make in their lives — the widespread spiritual and religious awakenings worldwide — his influence continues through his spirit which remains strong among us who care. 

In paying our respects to Charlie, we take nothing away from the untold suffering of the countless millions around the world who are also mourning their own losses. 

As parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, we mourn the loss of all innocent life, especially children. 

While we may not have known any of the victims from the other senseless tragedies this past week around the country, and around the world, that does not mean that they aren’t mourned. 

The fact that we publicly pay our respects to a public figure does not take anything away from those losses. 

Importantly, however, when a person is mourning the loss of another, the humane response is not to refer to other tragedies, or to slip in statistics and rhetoric. The humane response is to offer sympathies, condolences, and thoughtful reflection. 

This goes without saying for most people, and it goes without saying for all who maintain their sense of humanity. 

Even where one disagrees with much of what a person believes, a life dedicated (with consistency and sincerity, so far as we can tell) to the pursuit of truth, the defense of free speech and open dialogue, and the encouragement of moral and spiritual growth, is one worthy of respect and celebration. In a time when people and institutions often avoid or shut down meaningful conversation, someone who fosters open exchange and challenges others to think deeply — especially around the controversial — plays a vital role in a healthy and truly progressive society, in aiding the exploration of both ideas and self. 

Moreover, where his influence inspires individuals to become better husbands, fathers, and human beings, to seek edification and moral clarity, as we have witnessed over the years and as we are witnessing today in spirit, then his legacy transcends politics and ideological divisions. This speaks to a deeper commitment to human flourishing, a pursuit that should unite, rather than divide, those who genuinely care about humanity and the future of civilization. 

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