zlacker

[return to "Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah"]
1. loughn+Bg1[view] [source] 2025-09-11 02:37:24
>>david9+(OP)
The sad irony is that he's at a college campus debating/arguing with people. At their best that's what college campuses are for. I know they haven't been living up to it lately but seeing him gunned down feels like a metaphor.

I know he liked to publicize the exchanges where he got the best of someone, and bury the others, and that he was a far, far cry from a public intellectual. Still, he talked to folks about ideas, and that's something that we should have more of.

That should be something that we strive for, but I fear we'll see it less and less. Who'se going to want to go around and argue with people now?

◧◩
2. cosmic+np1[view] [source] 2025-09-11 03:55:05
>>loughn+Bg1
I read an account of the "debate" immediately preceding his murder, it was quips and dodges. If that's at all representative of his conduct, he actively hurt the national dialogue by convincing people that that's what a debate looks like.
◧◩◪
3. dnissl+rs1[view] [source] 2025-09-11 04:33:33
>>cosmic+np1
how would you steelman his position?
◧◩◪◨
4. bccdee+By1[view] [source] 2025-09-11 05:36:57
>>dnissl+rs1
A position like his doesn't really take well to steelmanning… It's not really the kind of viewpoint that's meant to be spelled out explicitly. You're supposed to shroud it in euphemisms.

I guess the steelmanned version of his beliefs would be something like, "racial and sexual minorities are an enemy to the white Americans who own this country; they threaten things we value about our culture and society, and we have no obligation to tolerate or accommodate them if we don't want to."

He spoke out against the Civil Rights act. He said the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory (that immigration is a deliberate attempt to dilute and ultimately replace the white race) is "not a theory, it's a reality." He said the Levitican prescription to stone gay men is "God's perfect law when it comes to sexual matters." (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Kirk#Social_policy)

Coverage of Kirk's killing has largely skirted around his views, because to describe them at all feels like speaking ill of the dead. If you bring up the fact that Kirk was a loathsome hatemonger, it somewhat tempers your message that political violence is never acceptable

◧◩◪◨⬒
5. collin+0A1[view] [source] 2025-09-11 05:52:46
>>bccdee+By1
I'm comfortable saying both that charlie kirk was a loathsome hatemonger and that he also shouldn't have been murdered. This hurts everyone.
◧◩◪◨⬒⬓
6. TheCoe+I33[view] [source] 2025-09-11 17:21:02
>>collin+0A1
He absolutely shouldn't have been murdered and the rise of political violence is terrifying for the country's future.

However, he has directly stated that empathy is bad and that shooting victims are an acceptable price to pay to avoid gun control.

I refuse to feel sympathy for someone who vigorously argued against doing anything to prevent what happened to him and who vigorously argued against caring about the people it happened to.

◧◩◪◨⬒⬓⬔
7. soupbo+mm5[view] [source] 2025-09-12 14:54:34
>>TheCoe+I33
People that don't like Charlie don't need to have sympathy for him, but not having sympathy and being douche bags in mass is something totally different.

"I can't stand the word empathy, actually," he continued. "I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that — it does a lot of damage. But, it is very effective when it comes to politics. Sympathy, I prefer more than empathy. That's a separate topic for a different time."

◧◩◪◨⬒⬓⬔⧯
8. Yeul+SO5[view] [source] 2025-09-12 17:39:46
>>soupbo+mm5
How can you not be a douche bag to someone who wants to kill you? How are homosexuals supposed to feel about this guy?
◧◩◪◨⬒⬓⬔⧯▣
9. soupbo+rc6[view] [source] 2025-09-12 19:56:19
>>Yeul+SO5
Ah yes... he wanted all homosexuals murdered[citation needed]. Good thing the good guys killed him eh?
[go to top]