Charlie Kirk, once a vocal force in American conservative activism, was assassinated at a campus event in Orem, Utah on September 10, 2025. His death brought out reactions some expected — and others that revealed just how divided some opinions really are.
The internet erupted as news of Kirk's death began to spread, igniting a storm of reactions — some mourning, others mocking.
We are living in an era where it has become socially acceptable in some circles to laugh at — or even cheer for — the death of a fellow American, not only because of political differences, but also because they lack the ability or willingness to engage in real debate. The line between disagreement and dehumanization has been crossed. What's more troubling is that this reaction seems to come disproportionately from one side of the political spectrum. If the roles were reversed — if the death of a progressive figure were mocked and openly celebrated — the outrage would be deafening, the calls for accountability immediate, and the consequences swift.
Elon Musk was among those who spoke out in the wake of Kirk's assassination, describing him as "someone who believed in dialogue and open debate. He was a man of ideas. He spoke eloquently... He was a man of peace. And now he's been murdered in cold blood." When pressed on why Kirk was targeted, Musk responded, "He was killed because his words made a difference. Because he was showing people the light. And he was killed by the dark." Yet while some offered tribute, others revealed the opposite reaction. One user on X, posting under the handle @getmyshineon1, mocked the tragedy by writing, "Its amazing how fkn ignorant and racist Trump & Charkie Kirk are / was," a chilling reminder of the cruelty that emerged online in the hours after the news broke.
What does this say about the American people? One thing is certain: the moment we stop talking, the moment we stop debating, the moment honest discourse disappears, we begin sliding toward something darker — even the possibility of civil war. Political beliefs, no matter how deeply held, should never strip us of empathy for a fellow American. Disagreement is part of freedom, but dehumanization is the death of it.
When it becomes acceptable to mock or cheer political violence, democracy itself begins to erode. The foundation of our nation is not agreement on every issue, but the shared commitment that we settle differences with words, not with bullets. Lose that, and we lose the very idea of America.
How we react to death — even the death of someone we disagree with — says more about us than it ever could about them.
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