If we want to call out extremism, we should start with ourselves.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination last week, voices on the left and the right have both scrambled to place blame, with varying degrees of truth to back up their claims, on the other side: It’s right-wing extremism or it’s left-wing extremism.
Close, but not quite right. The blame should always first fall on the shooter. People are not mere automatons driven by the forces of society. The shooter, not “society” or “a divided America,” ultimately pulled the trigger.
But, extremism plays a role as well, in that people are influenced by what others, especially those in positions of authority, say. It’s extremism from all sides fanning the flames.
Placing the blame first on the shooter sounds a “duh” statement, but with so many tragedies we seem to forget that premeditated murder is a diabolical action most people would never take.
The left in particular forgets this all the time with shootings, seeking to blame the gun instead. But if there are around a half billion privately-owned firearms in the United States and yet only 18,000 or so gun-involved murders a year, so math tells me there’s a missing ingredient: the individual.
Again, I know this sounds “duh,” but the debate over Kirk’s murder largely ignores this. Sure, people blame the shooter to an extent, but in trying to paint one of America’s two predominant political cultures absolves the shooter of responsibility. It’s no longer him who is to blame; it’s “them.”
It’s actually a very sick reaction. Tragedies can bring out the worst in us and blame is common, but not enough of us look at ourselves and our own side.
My heart broke at the thought that daddy wasn’t coming home for two little kids, and that poor mommy would have to try to explain what happened, endure sleepless nights, and try to move on with her family torn apart. Videos of Kirk’s assassination are easily accessible and one day his poor kids will probably see one.
