Dispatches of alarm and hope, on politics and society, democracy and justice. Because silence is not an option. We may read and write alone, but we drive change together. Snapshot: The Assassination of Charlie Kirk The far-right activist’s killing is a tragedy and yet another example of America's epidemic of gun violence Steven Beschloss Sep 10 Screenshot from a video at Utah Valley University. Charlie Kirk is seated under the tent just moments before he was shot. The deadly shooting today of 31-year-old right-wing activist and fierce Trump supporter Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University is a reprehensible act. Just minutes ago, the Associated Press confirmed his death just minutes ago. This assassination is a terrible reminder that troubled minds have been and will be triggered by extremist rhetoric. It’s another ugly data point that our society has tolerated a gun epidemic for far too long, often in the name of protecting the 2nd Amendment while failing to protect the lives of our people. Kirk himself was among those who made excuses for too many gun deaths. Tragically, it’s hard to see how this shooting won’t provoke more gun violence in response and how it won’t be exploited by Donald Trump and his regime to further expand their federal police state. This is likely even while they have been busy cutting veteran FBI agents that don’t demonstrate sufficient sycophancy or don’t fit their ideological or racial preferences. The shooting will be traumatic for both eyewitnesses and social media users: A graphic video shows the moment Kirk is shot in the neck, his head jerking back as blood poured out. Decent people can’t help but feel pain for his family. But I’m also thinking about all the people in attendance for this public event and all those who watched the video: Political violence has many victims, including those who have the misfortune to witness it. This latest act of violence adds to the terrible trauma that pervades our society. I dread the ripple effects, even while we should all urge restraint rather than fanning the flames. Becoming a paid subscriber—for $50 a year or just $5 a month—helps sustain our work, keeps nearly all the content free for everyone and gives you full access to our dynamic community conversations.