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John,
We just witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk today. The killing of a nonprofit leader is the dangerous next step in a long history of political violence of leaders and public figures on both the left and right.
Political violence is contagious. It spreads. It does not stay confined to one side of the aisle or one belief system. It should terrify us all.
When someone is killed on the left, blame is directed at the right. When someone is killed on the right, blame circles back to the left. In both cases, a black and white picture is attempted to be painted, filled with attempts to justify the violence by highlighting the worst things the victim may have said or done. Compassion is withdrawn. Humanity is erased. And the cycle deepens.
This tit-for-tat logic erodes our shared humanity. It entrenches fear, blame, and aggression. It makes space for more violence. And every time, our collective ability to live free of fear grows weaker.
We will not honor violence by excusing it, nor will we dishonor ourselves by calling for it or celebrating it. Our refusal to celebrate political violence in any form is not an endorsement of anyone’s politics. Charlie Kirk was not a friend to us, but he is a human being. We rise above hate in all forms as a commitment to life, to accountability, to compassion, and to the belief that no one should face a death sentence for their ideals.
The foundation of a free society is not agreement, it is the ability to participate without fear of violence. Political violence is always an attack on us all.
We call on leaders across movements, across ideologies, across organizations to join us in condemning this killing and reject retributive violence across the political spectrum.
We refuse to feed the spiral. We choose another way forward.
— Black Lives Matter
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