"My stomach churned and my heart sank as graphic videos of Kirk taking a bullet in the neck while speaking to students at Utah Valley University peppered my social media feeds. What made me even sicker was that everyone online already thought they knew who did it, even though law enforcement hadn't identified a suspect. Conservatives blamed liberalism for demonizing one of their heroes and vowed vengeance."
"Some progressives argued that Kirk had it coming because of his long history of incendiary statements against issues including affirmative action, trans people and Islam. Both sides predicted an escalation in political violence in the wake of Kirk's killing - fueled by the other side against innocents, of course. It was the internet at its worst, so I closed my laptop and checked on my dad. He had moved on to cleaning the pool."
Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University, and graphic videos of the attack spread quickly online. Social media users rushed to assign blame before law enforcement identified a suspect, deepening polarization. Conservatives framed the shooting as the result of liberal demonization and called for vengeance, while some progressives cited Kirk's history of incendiary statements as provocation. Observers on both sides warned of escalating political violence. A family visit provides a contrasting human reaction: a loved one expresses sadness, offers a blessing for the victim and worries whether politics will worsen.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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