The killing of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10 might be the single-most socially perplexing event of the 21st century, at least in my 58 years.
I didn’t know much about Kirk — political right-wing media is so gauche; two minutes of Fox “News” GOP propaganda is my limit. I can’t jibe how anyone can publicly profess to be a “Christian” while simultaneously marginalizing people.
I don’t “get” why so many people idolize(d) Charlie Kirk. I was raised Mormon and taught that kindness to everyone was paramount, more important than literally anything else. If you can’t be kind to others — or just respectful, you don’t have to like everybody — what’s the point of religion?
Matthew 22:39 states, “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Utah legislative Rep. Karianne Lisonbee (boo) had the audacity to compare Kirk’s legacy to those of JFK, MLK and Gandhi. Comparing Kirk to these men is obtuse (does that statement count as “disagreeing better,” Gov. Cox?). Kirk said the Civil Rights Act was a “huge mistake” and took aim at MLK’s legacy. His anti-LGBTQ rhetoric was worse. This isn’t “kindness”; this isn’t “loving thy neighbor as thyself.”
Kirk didn’t deserve the same fate as JFK, MLK, RFK, and the countless people who have been killed from nonwar, societal gun violence, including way too many innocent children in our schools the past 30 years. He’s also not a hero.
Imagine no guns in our society (like Japan and China). John Lennon (also a victim of gun violence) wrote “Imagine” 54 years ago and it is sublime: “Imagine there’s no countries; it isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion, too. Imagine all the people, living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one."
Resist hate.
Brad Fullmer, Sandy
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