Sadly, human history is rife with examples of public figures being killed for the views they hold. It made it no less jarring when we witnessed the horrific assassination of American pundit Charlie Kirk while he was ironically speaking about gun violence. Video of the event quickly spread throughout social media, and it drove home just how unexpectedly a person’s life can be snuffed out if a lunatic chooses to target them at a public venue.
The public murder of Kirk will have social repercussions that will be felt for years. A consequence of this assassination and others could be a chilling effect on public events held by activists, pundits, and politicians. We must not let this happen.
In a response to Kirk’s murder, several public events were cancelled or postponed by figures from Ben Shapiro to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Respect for Kirk and concerns for security were cited as reasons, and it’s understandable. Let’s hope this is just a short-term reaction, though.
Questions are being asked about how we can ensure that something like the Kirk assassination never happens again. The distressing answer is that we can’t. At least, not without ending all public appearances. We can work to mitigate risks and increase security, but the possibility that a person with violent intentions may slip into the event will never be reduced to zero. This will be on the minds of all who appear on stages at public venues, and some may choose to stop doing such appearances. This will come with a social cost.
Although I certainly don’t have the draw and reach of somebody like Ben Shapiro or Charlie Kirk, I am invited to and give speeches at many rallies and conferences. While I understand it is unlikely, I won’t be able to help but wonder in the back of my mind if one of the anonymous nuts who send threatening emails and messages to me now and then may choose that day to confront me in person. Every person who espouses political views on sensitive subjects is exposed to some of that feedback at times. We understand that it most often is just some sad soul sending out digital hate, but who will never leave the comfort of their homes to act upon their threats. The threats are still disconcerting, though, and not everybody can dismiss them and carry on with public appearances.
It’s in continuing the public events that we can counter this disconnect within society, which leads to threats and actions of violence. The digital world is one of mass communication, but no human connection. Anonymity allows people to be confrontational without committing their face and name to their words. This is where discourse becomes dehumanizing and dangerous.
At a public event, a connection between the speaker and the audience is made, which can’t be done digitally. When I stand on a stage, I can see the eyes watching me, whether they are dozens or hundreds. The audience can see me, my body language, and my reactions. We can all tell we are human beings, even if we disagree. When I am in a studio, I can see a counter indicating thousands of live watchers of my shows, but the vibe isn’t the same. The impact of my words and exchanges is infinitely stronger when in a public venue than when on a person’s television or computer screen.
Humans are social animals, which is why television never brought an end to stadiums and theatres packed with people to see live sports and performances. We want to gather and bond.
If the gatherings begin to feel dangerous, though, we now have an easier means to escape them through social media. The world was shaken when Martin Luther King was killed, but activists continued with public appearances, as there was no other way to try and reach people. That isn’t the case today, and we may see a decline in public events. Whether on the right or left side of the political spectrum, this would be a terrible development.
Our society is becoming introverted as we pass each other with our noses buried in our phones rather than looking at each other. It is allowing some to forget the humanity of others around them and to let divisive, hateful discourse dominate their communications and their minds. We saw the most tragic possible outcome of this trend as Charlie Kirk was shot the other day, and some people celebrated the murder online before he was even declared dead.
A monster robbed the world of a young man who tried to change things through peaceful debate.
We must not let these monsters rob us of the ability to gather in person and share ideas. We can honour Kirk by continuing to gather and debate peacefully as he courageously did. We won’t make the world a better place by hiding behind our computer screens. We must do it in person and with each other.
