Racism, Rhetoric, and Charlie Kirk: A Reality We Can’t Ignore

September 15, 2025

The article discusses the assassination of Charles James Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing evangelical figure known for controversial rhetoric. Author Graylan Scott Hagler criticizes the formulaic responses to Kirk's death while acknowledging the tragedy, but also examines Kirk's legacy of promoting racist views, opposing civil rights, and spreading misinformation. Hagler argues that Kirk's inflammatory rhetoric represented a form of violence itself, packaging hate speech as legitimate political discourse.

Who is affected

Charles James Kirk and his family (wife and child)
Black people, people of color, and the LGBTQIA community who were targets of Kirk's rhetoric
Kirk's friends and community connections
The right-wing political movement that is portraying him as a martyr
The broader American society dealing with political violence and inflammatory rhetoric

What action is being taken

The President has ordered flags to be flown at half-mast
Donald Trump is criticizing "the radical left" while simultaneously calling for lowering the temperature of political language
The right wing is working to make Kirk a political martyr
Political figures are condemning the killing with various clichés about dialing back discourse

Why it matters

Kirk's death represents the manifestation of the violent political rhetoric that has been prevalent in American discourse
The incident highlights the tension between free speech and hate speech in political contexts
It demonstrates how inflammatory rhetoric can lead to actual violence
The response to Kirk's death reveals political divides in how figures approach and interpret political violence
The event raises questions about how to evaluate a controversial public figure's legacy after their death

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint