That is to say Charlie Kirk only *said* things apparently. And apparently saying things can't lead to very real violence that people experience.

He was *only* talking. He *only* made a Watchlist of professors to inform people about who had liberal viewpoints, and if those people got horribly harassed & threatened, that's not on him.

They are "only" words.

Looks like Kirk got shot by a groyper honestly, so it's really a matter of infighting amongst themselves.

But when they get around to memorializing Kirk, they want to remind you, it was "only" words, only debate.

No, it wasn't. He hurt people.

He. Hurt. People.

I mean...

The right wing got their President & their Supreme Court & their Legislature. They are out there doing whatever they please.

But it's only words. "Why are you people so upset? It's just debate!"

No, it fucking isn't...not when the debate is accompanied by State violence it certainly isn't!

They think it's a game. They think we're trying to score points.

Charlie Kirk is apparently the first time it's becoming real to people that this isn't just a game...that they could get hurt.

They're shocked and aghast. "How can you be so callous?"

We've already lost so many to their violence, & they are scared *for the first time* & don't understand why we shrug & say "oh, this is just how the world IS now. You didn't know?"

This, I think, is at the heart of a lot of what I see right now from people who think of themselves as "free speech" champions: they didn't actually believe that real world violence underlies the things they say & do, because it's only violence when it happens to *them*.

They've been playing with no stakes while imagining they are courageous heroes, & now someone has introduced stakes. They didn't ever think that THEY would have actual skin in the game.

It's the reality that violence begets violence that has apparently got them shook.

"Oh, I didn't think MY violence would ever come back on ME!"

Charlie Kirk was most likely shot by a right wing troll... It was EXACTLY his violence coming back to him. It wasn't a queer person or a Black person... It was most likely a straight white kid who has been listening to guys like Kirk his whole life.

@artemis

The problem with reactionary movements funded by wealthy fossil fuel fascists like Koch Network, Charlie Kirk's patron billionaires, is that the donors are indifferent to the costs of violence, even to their own paid supporters.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/06/trump-young-conservatives-college-charlie-kirk-turning-point-usa-217829/

https://www.desmog.com/2019/03/12/turning-point-meet-trump-allied-climate-science-denying-fossil-fuel-funded-ultra-conservative-us-student-group-coming/

https://www.prwatch.org/news/2020/04/13557/koch-foundation-criticizes-turning-point-usa-even-koch-network-funds-group

They made little effort to assure Charlie Kirk's safety & security because he was equally useful, dead or alive. Martyr is as good as paid malign influencer, from their perspective.

1/