Ep. 97 Call them Un-Americans

Ep. 97 His Vine & Fig Tree PodcastI needed a mea culpa from my gut reaction to Charlie Kirk’s political assassination on Sept. 10. I truly believed at that moment that “I don’t see any good coming from this.” However, there has been much good that as come (Gen. 50:20) in just one week. Prayer vigils, worship services, and moments of silence have broken out worldwide. And the world has seen a strong, courageous, and admirable widow, Erika Kirk, stand in the place of her husband. If we are to believe anecdotal reports, many have even headed to church because of this.People are grappling with how to respond to Kirk’s assassination. Some people see two groups of people in this nation: Americans and Un-Americans. Americans don’t want anything to do with the Un-Americans, who have no problem celebrating the murder of people. Virginia House Del. Nick Freitas gave a clarion call for things being different and a reckoning being needed by those who don’t condemn un-American violence from simmering in this nation.A political price must be part of that reckoning. With it, anyone who has allowed this to happen must lose their public office. And they can never have the privilege of being in public life again. That’s the price for being Un-American. A Sept. 16 column identifies the necessary moral clarity for the nation now, especially those who have pumped hate at young people.And how sick do you have to be to celebrate the murder of someone? I explain the dilemma that Clemson University in South Carolina faced when multiple professors went to social media and praised Kirk’s assassination. Clemson trustees had no choice but to respond because state lawmakers were threatening money being taken away.Team Trump is serious about going after the purveyors of political violence. One thing that could emerge is going after “hate speech.” That won’t be as easy as some MAGA supporters think, according to Greg Lukianoff. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curtolson.substack.com