Those calling for blood in the streets got what they wanted today. Charlie Kirk (he was a Republican, but affiliation doesn’t matter here) was killed today while speaking at Utah Valley University. Ironically reports/video show he was fielding a question about deaths from mass shootings when the fatal bullet was shot. Do not watch the video footage, it is gruesome. It pierced his main artery in his neck, his body went limp, and a literal river of blood shot out. It looked as like something from a horror/sci-fi/war movie. I texted the Blog Father “no chance he lived.”
Kirk leaves behind a wife, and a 1- and 3-year-old. Also, online footage of his death will be circulated/still on the interwebs likely into eternity. Imagine when those kids grow up, they can view the video of their father shot and killed. Oh, also the ensuing comments celebrating his death.
But this blog is not to memorialize Charlie Kirk or attack the left. It’s to make a point that we live in the equivalent of a Banana Republic or third world country.
Folks, just in the past roughly 12 months we have had; 2 attempts to kill Donald Trump, 2 Minnesota State electeds shot, 1 fatally, a judge murdered by a Sheriff in Kentucky, The United Health CEO murdered, and an arson at the house of PA Gov Josh Shapiro. The violence is condemned, thoughts and prayers are offered up, pro-gun vs anti-gun happens, then right back to where we started. Oh, prior to these events, Gabby Giffords was nearly killed, and Steve Scalise likely would have been killed had the secret service and Sen Rand Paul not been present at the scene of that shooting.
I guess it’s now ok to kill folks you don’t agree with politically? That seems to be the message sent on all forms of media, electronic and televised.
Trust me when I say this, it’s not representative of all Americans, it’s a growing fringe on both left and right…. Yeah, even the right.
When at the gym, I will occasionally have the news on in front of me, granted subtitles skew the content a little bit, but both sides are playing to the extreme. Online media is the same exact way, who cares about being righ,t its more important to be first.
The root causes of this issue are as follows; we have so many shootings in this country we have become numb to it under the guise of “violence happens” in that part of town. Check out the local news at night. We allow violent video games, I know, I know, research shows no correlation but there has to be something there, our young people are the trigger pullers in most cases now, and violent video games were a thing in my youth, and still are to this day. This de-sensitizes you to death, oh, and in some of these games, you are the “bad guy” shooting at the police…. Where have we seen that before? Political nonsense being spewed on tv and electronic media is another form. Now imagine consuming many hours of this garbage and thinking it’s gospel. Again, I’m talking left and right. This is the straw that stirs the drink.
I overheard a fellow Republican at a CRA meeting say “The DNC is a great spot for a terror attack… think of how great it would be with that scum gone.” I objected and was told by another member to “shut up.” Yep. Again, CRA is a “right leaning organization.” I do not think many sane people advocate blowing up a mass of the population unless they have multiple screws loose.
Similar statements, but not political in nature. I work with someone who has never missed early morning and prime time tv. They had this one several years ago; Russia had been massing troops at the Ukraine border at the time. “Come on Putin, move in and fire a bullet, I want the stock market to go down and have people panic sell so I can buy on the cheap.” Yeah, he wanted a war and people dying in large numbers so he could buy a stock cheap. Digest that for a minute. Innocent people…. Dying. Or this great hit from the same guy regarding Chipotle’s e-coli outbreak a decade ago. It is was caused by an investor who is short (betting the stock goes down) the stock. So let me get this straight, some guy somehow instructed a huge storefront operation to get high numbers of people sick…. On purpose, mind you. This is tin-foil hat right/left wing BS. It also shows a big disconnect from reality.
Fear not, the left does it as well, but what scares me is the right is now starting to have more and more fringe actors like the ones mentioned above. This creates a scary situation. For example, Sean Hannity. I caught his opening monologue yesterday and boy I wish I hadn’t. He has been lost since Rush Limbaugh died and it shows. He dedicated the beginning to not Charlie Kirk but going off about how deranged and mad the left is. Sean, we know this. A deranged, Palestinian supporting leftist attempted arson on Democrat Josh Shapiro’s home. Shapiro is Jewish. Monologues like this do not help, they actually hurt. It stirs up folks who have no view of humanity.
A final word comes courtesy of Alexandria O’Casio Cortez.
“From the moment I was elected, I have felt that I accept a certain level of risk in doing this job,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. But she added that security protocols for members of Congress are “for a bygone time. … They’re not designed for a digital threat environment era.”
AOC and several other members of Congress have cancelled outdoor events and are thinking of hiring private security. The type of thing yesterday should scare lots of people, but not for the reasons you think. Charlie Kirk is really a “JAG” (Just a guy) if you think about it. He is a relative unknown outside of the political spectrum. He isn’t elected. Has no voting record outside of “he voted.” He was murdered. In front of his family. A sniper from long distance, in what appears to be a long thought-out and planned attack.
How do we stop this?
We really can’t. Political rhetoric, especially on the podcast fringe from both sides. Some of what I think is the solution is the same as Brian Kohberger. When this perp is arrested simply declare you caught the guy. Do not name him or put out any info. Try him after you have an airtight open and closed case that not even the public defender’s office even really wants to touch. No plea bargain. Federal terrorism/hate crime charges. Death penalty! Upon conviction, again as an unknown to the world population, make it clear any appeals are expedited to a judge immediately. The goal here is a needle/electric chair/firing squad within 5-7 years of conviction. This may not stop the shooting, but it helps to remove the scum and the attention they want from this earth. As opposed to Kohberger who like I mentioned will be around awhile to continue to seek out attention for what he did.
The Chief
PS Matthew Dowd formerly of MSNBC fame, I’m coming directly for you next week in this space.