Had you heard of Charlie Kirk before yesterday?

[Havetoagree]

Just that really? I hadn’t and wondering if I’m the only one. And why is it such a big story? I guess the association with trump. What would be the equivalent level of fame over here?

I’m not the one who shot him. Anyway wasn’t he a massive advocate of guns and dismissed gin violence. He said some gun deaths each year were “worth it” if it meant fewer restrictions on guns or some such. Well guess he got what he wanted

None of our family had. 2 of my DCs who don’t have social media on their phones were shown the video of his murder today and that makes me sad. I’ve never watched a murder and don’t want to. It’s a sorry state the world is in. Knowing some of his views now, I don’t agree with them, but he didn’t deserve this

No, I hadn't.

A boy who my grandson was at school with had a debate with him and it was on Instagram so I had watched that.

I mean he did say that people dying from gun violence were collateral damage and worth it. He also said that empathy was made up and a stupid concept. So I don't think it's fair to attack people for their lack of empathy for him.

Respectful?! You're kidding, surely?! He was abhorrent, he was anti trans, gay, women, abortion, everything but human rights (but that wouldn't be much of a stretch). Mourn the deaths of children in Gaza instead.

Yes, I've watched his videos and dipped into his podcast. I went along to watch him debate at Washington State uni. He was a fantastic debater. I shared a few of his views not all. Having young family members in different US universities, what he was doing was really important. Getting people talking and involved in politics regardless of your view everyone gets the chance to speak and be heard.

I knew him and my 14 yo black son watched him a lot. He’s incredibly shocked and sad.

I don’t align with his views. I’ve had an abortion. My partner is trans.

One of things I did agree with though is his quote about the importance of talking to each other. To seeing each other as humans. Because once you stop talking that’s when violence occurs.

He always sounded respectful and kind even though I never agreed with him.

I guess a UK equivalent would maybe be someone like Katie Hopkins?

Where was his empathy for the other victims of gun violence?

Are you insane?

he openly said if his daughters got pregnant by being raped then he would force them to continue with the pregnancy.
He said empathy was a “made up word” that he didn’t believe in.
He said abortion was a worse crime than the Holocaust.
He said and I quote “I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights."

a thoroughly awful man.

He had opinions I never agreed with, but he was respectful in expressing them.

“No, Israel is not starving Gazans,” Kirk said in July 2025.
That same month, Kirk called images of starving children in Gaza “propaganda”

Kind? He said if his daughter was raped he would force her to give birth to the baby.

I hadn't but I don't think I missed much. He had eyes of stone, there was nothing behind them at all.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/11/charlie-kirk-quotes-beliefs

You're a violent misogynist racist, then.

Never heard of him until now and his views are not what I would agree with but nobody deserves to die for having an opinion. I feel for his family.

I strongly disagree

Do you know what most of his views were? He was rather racist. Anti feminist (told a woman to submit to her husband, for example). Said if his 10 year old daughter was raped and got pregnant he would want her to be forced to deliver the baby. Used terms like 'prowling blacks'. Etc. Etc. A lot of people only know him for his work around trans debates, but I'd maybe do some research before staying you agree with most of what he said (unless you really do then in which case, you do you!).

Yes, I didn’t agree with his views but it was a refreshing change to see someone willing to engage with people he disagreed with vs banging pans outside a debate like a giant toddler.

The reality is we have got so used to people shutting down debate rather than just having it. I saw this with women's rights issues. If you went on the BBC and you were a perfectly reasonable person (thinking people like Helen Joyce) you would still be painted as a bigot and extremist.

Our society is full of children who can’t cope with disagreement and celebrate the death of people we disagree with because we have lost all moral reason (I’m an atheist btw). Grown adults crow over murder as if it were a video game and not a human life. I thought his views on abortion were frankly dehumanising to women and girls. I think he was brilliant and exposing the shallowness of identity politics. I could hold both thoughts in my head at the same time and not be happy he died. We have become so debased as a society that people actually celebrate murder publicly with no sense of shame whatsoever.

I’ve also been thinking about how we use the word tolerance. People keep using the word inaccurately. They talk about tolerance for people they have no problem with and often agree with. We are only actually tolerant with people we disagree with, we refrain from harming them and despite the gulf of opinion Between someone like Charlie Kirk and me he demonstrated that by actually speaking to them. Often they failed to articulate their ideas well because they lived in bubbles where they never had to justify their beliefs. But we need that as a society, we need people to be able to articulate their positions and to be able to debate effectively. We rely too much on emotion and censure.

No i hadn't and I do have a loose interest in US affairs and politics. Eg today being the 24th anniversary of 9/11. Barely mentioned.

You can't be respectful when you're calling people's children who have been shot to death at school "worth it" to keep the right to bear arms.

I dunno, I think some of the things he said were incredibly disrespectful to the people targeted by the very nature of his words. Not sure you could wrap some of it up as respectful.

yes I had and I am 52 . He comes up on my insta feed and I have watched him a few times although he is not my cup of tea.
I was shocked to hear the news.

I'd heard of him. He was not a pleasant man. I'm not happy that he's been murdered, though.