Martyr or Victim?
Those on the right have begun calling Charlie Kirk a martyr. He is no more a martyr than was Melissa Hortman, assassinated in Minnesota last June. They are not martyrs. They are victims. Victims of a political climate turned ugly. Victims of a climate where those who oppose one side or the other are seen, not as Americans disagreeing on policy, but as enemies.
It is disappointing that the president and others on the right have failed to acknowledge their own contributions to the problem. Disappointing, but not surprising. They are correct to condemn Kirk’s murder but where were those voices last June when Hortman and her husband were killed? Where was her Medal of Freedom? Where was the presidential order to fly flags at half staff? The president claims he was not asked but since when does he wait for a request before acting?
The answer to these questions is simple. In the president’s universe, it is us versus them. Charlie Kirk was one of us, so he merits honor. Since Melissa Hartman was one of them, she does not. The president did not create this political divide, but he has exploited it to gain power. As such, he is uniquely suited to begin to close it. Incredibly, he has chosen this moment to widen it. It will be a sad commentary on his legacy that when he had a chance to heal, he chose instead to divide.