r/askanything • u/Vert_der_Ferk25 • Sep 02 '26

Political Question Why am I supposed to be impressed with who Charlie Kirk was?

He was a paid professional debater. He went to a college campus, set up a tent and cameras, and engaged with amateurs who had no experience doing what he did. And the right loved him for it. His media team would then cut clips of him scoring points against amateurs, and they would push them out on all their social media feeds.

Isn't this like LeBron James going to a campus and setting up cameras while he played pickup games against kids who, at best, were on the college team but more likely dabbled in basketball, but were no match for the expert? And then what would people think if LeBron's media people cut clips of him dunking on these young amateurs and pushed them out as "highlights"?

"LeBron's TOP 10 Most SAVAGE College TAKEDOWNS šŸ‘€šŸ”„"

"COCKY College Kid gets OWNED By Lebron James! Follow for morešŸ‘‰"

"LeBron James SHUTS DOWN 3 Arrogant College Students Best DUNKS Compilation"

"1 NBA Hall of Famer vs 25 Amateur College Students (Feat. LeBron James) | Surrounded"

Isn't Kirk's legacy just sad?

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93

u/Dehyak Sep 02 '26

You donā€™t have to be impressed by anyone

24

u/martinhenry1871 Sep 04 '26

Theyā€™re referring to the movement of right wingers who were pissed at anyone who didnā€™t declare his assassination as a tragedy as if he was some bipartisan civil rights warrior

2

u/Comfortable_Lake_574 29d ago

Because anyone being killed over politics should scare everyone. You donā€™t have to weep over him but his death shows violence and death is seen as an acceptable response to someone using their freedom of speech.

1

u/Ok-Distribution7610 12d ago

How is it not tragedy? Guy was shot for his political opinions. Charlie was actually really left wing in a lot of his beliefs and still extremists post memes about his death

-1

u/[deleted] Sep 04 '26 edited Sep 04 '26

[removed] ā€” view removed comment

5

u/SilentSpr Sep 04 '26

The irony of a person who said children being killed in school shootings is a justified cost of keeping access to firearms being assassinated with firearms is very rich. Itā€™s not a happy nor tragic event, itā€™s just very ironic

2

u/AtlasInt Sep 07 '26 edited Sep 07 '26

Would you be in favor of banning swimming pools because children sometimes drown in them? You'll find that they are by far the greater threat.

If not, and you drowned in a lake, would that be ironic?

2

u/IneffableSam Sep 09 '26

He also said itā€™s similar to driving cars and he didnā€™t specify ā€œchildrenā€ he actually made a comparison that in order to keep the right to bear arms people will die. You canā€™t have Gun ownership without gun deaths. He goes onto say 50,000 people will die every single year from driving cars, but we do so ignorantly anyways for the convenience of driving and believe itā€™s worth it.

1

u/Dry_Can7915 Sep 11 '26

Except not driving would inevitably collapse the economy. Because the US economy and infrastructure is so car dependent. But school shootings are 100% preventable and access to deadly weapons can be regulated, but access to guns is very much a sensitive topic because its a cultural thing in the US, because "muh freedom" and the 2nd amendment.Ā 

1

u/edwardappleby7 12d ago edited 12d ago

I canā€™t choose to lethally swimming pool someone in the head.

1

u/AtlasInt 12d ago

You can drown someone in a pool? Regardless that has nothing to do with the matter at hand.

1

u/edwardappleby7 5d ago

Except you are comparing guns to swimming pools as weapons of death.

1

u/AtlasInt 5d ago

I am struggling to imagine how someone's mind would have to work to think that's relevant.

6

u/RetiredJuggernaut Sep 04 '26

Heā€™s referring to a movement of right wingers who pretend that not declaring his assassination a tragedy as if he was some bipartisan civil rights warrior is the same as saying ā€œIā€™m glad an assassin killed youā€

0

u/[deleted] Sep 05 '26

[deleted]

1

u/RetiredJuggernaut Sep 05 '26

Wow, excellent example of a fairly large strawman. I appreciate your commitment to the bit.

1

u/viperspm Sep 04 '26

Yet the ones to claim to be morally better than the right are down voting you. Lol.

-2

u/rather828 Sep 04 '26

Just randomly reading Reddit ā€¦ Ha, now that was pretty funny

-4

u/Fit_Entrance5591 Sep 05 '26

Not that I agreed with him on everything, but it was good to have someone putting in effort nationwide across campuses to challenge people on their ideas and stances.

7

u/jackallofftrades Sep 06 '26

Did you watch his debates? They were filled fallacies, and bad faith arguments which are still used today to justify poor policy decisions and racism. His last words exemplify this perfectly

ā€œā€¦counting or not counting gang violence?ā€

1

u/SoapierBug Sep 07 '26

So you felt him being killed for leaning into his stance was the right result? Genuinely curious

1

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Madmanmike777 Sep 10 '26

You're an idiot lol but fun to laugh at so please, keep on

1

u/pronoun-gpu 1d ago

You are so wrong it's not funny. Pointing out shit in the world isn't racism. It's simple.

4

u/RickWolfman Sep 05 '26

I agree the concept of challenging ideas is good. He had toxic messaging that deserved criticism, but he was free to be a toxic influence as he chose. It is good that both he and those who criticized him have the freedom to use their voices as they choose.Ā 

5

u/ShartJerky Sep 05 '26

It wasnā€™t to help people think clearly. It was to make them bigoted fuckheads.

0

u/null_sweat_chummer Sep 06 '26

It was a tragedy. The man had a family and was killed in front of them, while at workā€¦ if thatā€™s not tragic, Iā€™m not sure what is.

Fuck his shitty ass world views, but itā€™s still fucked that he was murdered.

1

u/Dry_Can7915 Sep 11 '26

And yet he got leagues more attention than 2 democrats who were assassinated earlier that year and a republican made a joke about thier deaths and faced no repercussions. That same republican I'm pretty sure was one that called kirk a real American patriot. Despite the fact those democrats did more to influence policies and thier states directly while kirk was just a talking head for alt right talking points. Yes he died. It sucks. But the right uses him as a martyr and is acting like his death is a global tragedyĀ 

1

u/ImprovementOk1629 27d ago

Yes it was but none of his family members were there.

4

u/itsjustsosad Sep 04 '26

He said "supposed to be." As in, whats the mentality of those who are.

3

u/NothingWasDelivered Sep 04 '26

You know how the right decided, without any evidence, that affirmative action lead to unqualified individuals getting hired because theyā€™re minorities (black pilots, just to pick an example out of the air)? They use that imaginary problem to justify pushing the dumbest racists they can find and insisting we all treat them like theyā€™re not barely literate. Itā€™s DEI for dumb white people.

1

u/noah822022 Sep 06 '26

He debated 18 19 year olds at school lol

-1

u/AirportWinter5054 Sep 04 '26

Yeah I don't think anyone expects you to be impressed. It's just clickbait titles. Should be used to it by now.