The recent assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk has rekindled the debate about gun violence in America, but people do not react to all such incidents the same way.
After Kirk was killed, many people took to the internet to post how they felt. Some said he was a father and husband who shouldn’t have been killed for sharing his opinions, while others pointed out that he was killed by a weapon that he had advocated for.
Both of these things can be true at the same time.
The main argument from the right side is that he was killed for sharing his conservative opinions. While this may be true, it also needs to be acknowledged that people are also killed for the color of their skin, their religion, or that they are simply students in school.
Gun violence is still gun violence, no matter who the victim is. Kirk didn’t deserve to be killed, but those who are in an uproar over this death also need to be enraged about the thousands of deaths from shootings occurring every year.
For example, the week prior to Kirk’s death, there was a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that killed two children, ages 8 and 10, and wounded 14 others.
Another example is the recent killing of Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband on June 14. The suspect in her killing has had conservative views, the New York Times reported.
But where were the constant online tributes for those victims? Why does it only matter when it happens to Kirk?
The answer is selective empathy. To be fair, both political parties are guilty of it. Some people on the left joked about Kirk’s murder and even celebrated it, but this is hypocritical given the principles they claim to stand for.
It’s not right to feel bad for one victim of gun violence but not others. Kirk’s death should be a wake-up call for everyone.
This violence should not be about left or right; it needs to be about life and death. Gun violence needs to be acknowledged all the time, not just when the victim is a conservative White male.
