Charlie Kirk
I’d never heard of Charlie Kirk until he was shot, which was an awful, despicable crime. I’ve since learned that I profoundly disagree with him on almost everything but I am in awe of his courage and encouragement of open debate. It’s a sharp contrast with our weak, cowardly, mainstream politicians who don’t have the balls to debate difficult issues. Despite our differences, I think he was a hero and a martyr for democracy and free speech.
Peter Reynolds 
To be honest, I didn’t know who he was by name till he got shot, but I had come across him several times o social media.
He is another one of these dangerous people – like Johnson or Farage – who had the gift of the gab, although he was an absolute professional at it and perhaps the ultimate example of why these people are so dangerous.
He went out and engaged in debates? Well, sort of. Yes, he would encourage people to question him, but it wasn’t a discussion it was more of a put-down. The answers he gave were presented with the sort of utter confidence a truly well informed person would have. The problem is, much of what he presented as truth was at best perhaps partial truths or just plain total fabrications.
He would present all this, looking the person straight n the eye with not a scintilla of doubt in his voice. It was an interesting technique he used to brow beat his debating opponents, unless you have some deep knowledge of issues you can’t really debate with someone so sure of their “facts”. If for some reason he was out-argued, he would step back, accept defeat on that specific point, but use the same old claims at the next debate. He used that technique a lot in his student debates. There is somewhere on youtube a video of a professor who knew his stuff who had the confidence to wipe the floor with him, but people like that are rare.
The views he promoted with such fake confidence were indeed abhorrent which is why he was such a dangerous individual. He used this gift of the gab to great effect on social media of course and he is one of the people most responsible for the disaster that is Trump.
He claimed to be a Christian, yet promoted views which were hardly compatible with the teachings of Christ, not least in terms of promoting gun ownership: For example Matthew V 26:52: “Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword”. He who lives by the gun will die by the gun basically, but that sort of thing didn’t fit with his agenda.
The USA is a country formed through violence, the shootings of many people over the years have formed it’s culture, if that’s the right word. I’m thinking Kennedys. Martin Luther King (who Kirk described as a “bad person” and the civil rights act as “a huge mistake.” He was an out and out racist and white supremacist. Yes of course such views are abhorrent, but far worse when presented by someone as convincing as he was.
To be honest, horrible as his shooting is, it’s no worse than the other shootings that have happened in the US these past few years and very little fuss was made of any of those.
The difference now is Trump was affected personally, so expect retributions, indeed it’s already started. The US is on course for civil war, I doubt much can be done to stop that now.
derek23
September 13, 2025 at 5:41 pm
Those are all fair points, Derek and as I wrote, I profoundly disagree with him on just about everything but I admire the way he was open and encouraging of debate. I’m sure with all that practice he was good at winning them!
I wish more politicians on all sides would follow his example of how to engage with the people.
Peter Reynolds
September 13, 2025 at 5:49 pm