Charlie Kirk shot

I have no idea what the president of the Oxford Union has said (I’m not on Twitter - was it on Twitter?).

Anyway, presumably those who defend Charlie Kirk’s right to express his views, will also defend the right of the Oxford Union president to express his / her views?

Galaxy

Those celebrating are all over social media Casdon, the president of the Oxford Union for example seem to be in a bit of hot water for it.
It is an assassination of a high profile figure of course it is going to get airtime.

I read his tweet…

Well, nanna8, apart from his views on black women , of which I posted earlier, he spoke of enthusiasm for public, televised executions.
I'm not sure that comes under the heading of " commonsense".

ronib

It’s going to be worse for the assassin!
growstuff Trump’s visit to the UK will be soon. Can you imagine the security upgrades?

I was thinking about that.

I must admit I find it incredible that security for the meeting in Utah was so lax .

nanna8

I’d never heard of him but my granddaughter and her family have. They really liked him and tell me he spoke a lot of commonsense and was willing to debate and listen to different points of view. Pretty rare these days.I mourn that he was a young father and the way he was assassinated for his views.Left or right, makes no difference. It shouldn’t have happened.

I'm afraid I cannot agree that preaching racism, misogyny, homophobia, the right to use guns, etc is "common sense".

It’s going to be worse for the assassin!
growstuff Trump’s visit to the UK will be soon. Can you imagine the security upgrades?

I neither celebrate nor mourn his death. However, I do fear for the backlash.

I do not celebrate his death but the more I read about him the more difficult I am finding it to morn his death.

I would like to say however, his little family don’t deserve this and my heart goes out to them.

Personally I think it is a disaster for democracy in the USA.

Trump will get his revenge and goodness knows where that will lead him and America.

I abhorred Kirk’s ideology, particularly his Christian nationalism, which I thought was disastrous for women.

Minds are won by debate, not violence.

I agree regarding airtime Galaxy, and if people are actually celebrating his death that is really horrible. Certainly I haven’t seen that happening on Gransnet, even though there have been accusations that some people are not compassionate in their posts.

I’d never heard of him but my granddaughter and her family have. They really liked him and tell me he spoke a lot of commonsense and was willing to debate and listen to different points of view. Pretty rare these days.I mourn that he was a young father and the way he was assassinated for his views.Left or right, makes no difference. It shouldn’t have happened.

Those celebrating are all over social media Casdon, the president of the Oxford Union for example seem to be in a bit of hot water for it.
It is an assassination of a high profile figure of course it is going to get airtime.

As you say you’d never heard of him have you any idea what his ‘unpopular ideologies’ were, eazybee? Have you read any reports of what he said or listened to any recordings?

Or is ‘freedom of speech’ a sort of dog whistle phrase that requires an instant response without any knowledge of the speech whose freedom is being defended?

MaizieD

Young people have heard of him. So that justifies enormous amounts of media airtime and print?

There has to be more than that to it, surely?

My cynical self wonders if it’s keeping other unpalatable news off the front pages Maizie

NO it s not just intolerance of his views it’s intolerance of his incitement to hatred of certain people, immigrants, blacks, women.. that were spewing out hatred for our children to hear and learn from. He had vile views and he was an influencer of the next generation

I had not heard of Charlie Kirk until his murder was reported; he was then described as a man who was taking unpopular ideologies into Universities for students to listen, discuss and debate why they were being perpetrated, not to influence students to follow them. That to me seems true freedom of speech, not banning people, Kathleen Stock for example, because a very strong group do not approve of her viewpoint and wish to silence her.
The emotive language used above, incitement of and spewing out hatred, vile views, does not encourage tolerance in any form.

Who exactly are you referring to when you say people are celebrating his death Galaxy? No compassionate person would celebrate, even his strongest critics, surely.

Young people have heard of him. So that justifies enormous amounts of media airtime and print?

There has to be more than that to it, surely?

Yes very well known to young people, Instagram in the cases I know.

MaizieD I am hazarding a guess that as he had a huge online presence, he was known to students over here.

What I don’t understand is why the UK media are making such a huge thing if this when most Brits have never heard of Kirk?
The BBC had loads of stories on their site yesterday and it isn’t much better this morning.

What, if any, is the global significance of this event?

Bernie Sanders has made a brilliant statement though, that has cheered me up.

ronib

One lone young assassin from video surveillance posted so far. How can Trump claim an emergency on this basis? America is no stranger to the brutal assassination of its political figures.
It has a long history.

I am old enough to remember the assassination of JFK and later his brother. I don’t remember immediate claims that the assassin was ‘from the right’. The escalating aggression and use of people’s emotions for political gain worldwide is very concerning.

Galaxy

So for me, I don't want people shot for things they say (yes there could be another motive but that seems unlikely) and even putting that aside until we know, I don't want to be associated with those who think it is ok to celebrate it. The implications for me are I would vote against that 'tribe' in any way I could.

I understand this 👍

NO it s not just intolerance of his views it’s intolerance of his incitement to hatred of certain people, immigrants, blacks, women.. that were spewing out hatred for our children to hear and learn from. He had vile views and he was an influencer of the next generation No one deserves to die at the hands of another but it is very ironic that he was killed by his weapon of choice. I do not mourn him

Hear, hear Bluebelle.