I don’t have much to share on the death of Charlie Kirk beyond what I suspect is obvious. We want a society where political participation and activism, even things we disagree with or find despicable, can take place without the threat of violence. This isn’t just a general belief that we don’t want people to be hurt or die by violence. It’s the basis of the society and political order we want to live in and which at this very moment is under a graver threat than at any time in our lifetimes.
Rightwing violence, both of an organized paramilitary sort and by radicalized loners, has become such a scourge in recent years that on the extremes you hear voices for things like armed versions of Antifa and the like as some sort of counter. My point is not to equate the two. It is to note that when elections, speech and non-violent political activism give way to paramilitary and political violence the forces of civic democracy have already mostly lost the battle. Fascists do civil violence better than civic democrats. It’s a foundational element of their political philosophy. It’s the verdict of logic and history.
