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?

Even the bit about if his daughter was raped and was pregnant he didn't agree with abortion?!
He had so terrible views.

No I hadn’t, but my Twitter follows tend to be people tweeting about church architecture and wildflowers so not sure how I would have.

I don’t think I’d have agreed with him on much but I’m horrified by the killing for all sorts of reasons- the idea that a man had been murdered for exercising his right to free speech, the human loss, and what will come next- escalating violence and polarisation. I feel very worried. Give me human sympathy over ideology any day.

I’ve had an abortion. I don’t agree with his views at all.
But to him abortion was wrong. Period. I personally think that’s absurd, but I also wouldn’t ask an evangelical Christian this because it seems an obvious answer. If you believe abortion is murder this answer makes sense.

His opinions are alarming to me, but he was respectful in answering questions.

Yeah I said I wasn’t sad he’d gone. He was a foul, misogynistic, racist, who didnt care about the deaths of other innocents. Excuse me for not caring about his.

I'd heard of him due to his unpleasant views.

It's terrifying to me that people can express hateful racist and misogynist views and, because they put on a smart suit, idiots believe they are being "respectful".

Respectful to his daughter was he?

Yes, through following Megyn Kelly.

Was he an evangelical Christian? Because I don't see how condoning kids being shot in school is in any way Christian

I hadn’t but my dh had. Dh thought he was a brilliant debater, although he didn’t agree with his views

Particularly ironic that he was shot immediately after downplaying gun violence while under a sign that read "prove me wrong".

He said abortion was a worse crime than the holocaust. Do you honestly believe that’s respectful?

Yes, I have watched lots of his Q&A sessions. He thought talking to people with different views was a way of avoiding conflict.

This is tragic.

Yes I had. There was very little he said that I agreed with, and I thought he was a very unpleasant man.
His murder was still horrific, however.

I had, but he was a right wing racist I did not agree with his views but he did not deserve to be murdered.

Nope

I was aware of him because I follow American politics but it is a crowded field so I did not know the full details of his opinions. .

No, I hadn't heard of him. I am sorry for his family.

Absolutely, it's baffling. There was nothing respectful about him.

Yes I first came across him a couple of years ago. He was just so decent, that is why he stood out in this depraved era.

56 and yes I had. I am quite a politically aware person though. I didn't agree with any of his messages but nobody deserves to be murdered.

Hadn’t heard of him (31) but my teenage brothers both had

Yes. I’ve occasionally seen his videos pop up on social media. He’s definitely more well known in the US though.

So strongly that you have no response the the previous poster's factual evidence.

Actually he said this:

In a resurfaced video, Kirk stated, "We allow the massacre of a million and a half babies a year under the guise of women's reproductive health. We are allowing babies to be taken away and discarded every single year, just saying they are not humans."

"You are using dehumanizing language, saying ‘oh, it’s an embryo’; no, that's a baby, made in the image of God, deserving protection. It is never right to justify the mass termination of people under the guise of saying that they are unwanted. That's how we get Auschwitz, that's how we got the greatest horror of the 20th century,” he added.

Strongly disagree, but I’m not offended by the way he is saying it.