I had a falling out with a friend over my indifference towards Charlie Kirk’s death. Was she dramatic or AITA ?

[joseline]

As you may have heard, Charlie Kirk who is a political activist in the US got shot recently in public.

now I don’t wish death on people. I am not excited that he died like many unhinged people on the internet used to be but I am not sad at all. It’s not because of his inflammatory racist, cold hearted, bigoted rhetorics that I am not sad about his death but it’s simply because I could care less about celebrities. I never grieved about celebrities deaths and I will never.

but I had a falling out with a friend because she brought it up and I just shrugged. That made her angry and she called me cold blooded and brought up the fact that he was a father.

i responded ok and ? And she stormed out of my apartment.

The main reason why I don’t care is not because I hate Kirk. It’s because I generally don’t care about what goes on in the US. I do not care about that country and its people. I’ve never been there. I do not care to ever visit. Even less now since I’ve travelled to various other countries in Europe and south east Asia as well as the Caribbean.

Kirk is American who was living in America and I am British and I live in London UK. Nothing to do with us and our country.

Was I an asshole or is my friend dramatic ?

Your friend is ridiculous and dramatic.

If you’re not American why are you using the American term “asshole” rather than the British term “arsehole”?

And it’s AIBU on Mumsnet, not AITA.

+1

"Could care less"
"Asshole"

Very much YABU

YABU. For someone you claim not to care about you have very set ideas about what he spoke about and if you don’t see the parallels with what goes on the in UK to try and silence political opponents then you are an idiot.

Very much an American.

Im just delighted that I've finally found out what AITA means!

"I live in London UK"
Sure. That sounds exactly something a Londoner would say.

Use flat vs apartment next time, OP.

I think you both sound ridiculous.

Don't give too many of the tells away. They'll be making notes for the their next namechange.

That’s all I came to say too

I don’t think you’re alone.

There’s another thread running asking whether whether people had heard of him before his death. Basically the older generation hadn’t, the thirty year olds were a mixed bunch, and the teenage/young adult children of the younger generation had heard of him (and were quite shocked by the news).

So when I heard the news, I was nonplussed, assuming he was a YouTuber, influencer, popstar etc. Obviously it’s sad for his family and young children, but without sounding too callous, plenty of other people died that day as well. Not murdered but of cancer, car accidents, etc. and other tragic circumstances.

So many tells that you are indeed American - I’m interested to understand why you would post this?

You are correct however that very few people care about this Kirk character here - few outside the media or those who take an interest in the minutiae of American politics would have heard of him before he got offed.

I sort of agree OP. This “are you happy or sad about Charlie Kirk” is tiresome. 99.9% of the worlds population don’t care in any real, valuable way. Thinking briefly it’s sad that a young man was assassinated and being “sad” for his children and wife is about the extent to which anyone apart from his friends, family and fans should care.

and since he spent his time with the American yoof the vast majority of us on this site and people we know irl are highly unlikely to be fans either.

its normal to basically not care. It’s quite weird to pretend you have true, real feelings about it.

Enough performative grieving in USA without trying to bring it over here.

I wouldn't shrug it of a human being got murdered infront of his wife and kids and thats horrific. But I wouldn't cry about it either as I don't know him. But I feel very sorry for his family.

I'm fifty definitely heard of him watched his debates all the time I admired his technique

Was your friend equally upset when Democratic Congresswoman and mother of two Melissa Hortman was assassinated alongside her husband in her own home earlier this year, or is it only those with extreme right views that gain her sympathy?

Has she been distraught about any other victims of gun crime who are parents (or even worse, children)? I do wonder what it is about Charlie Kirk that makes him so worthy of all this hand-wringing.

Are you actually American OP?

I thought he was quite a poor debater. I wonder expected more British people would’ve seen him get wiped out trying to debate at Cambridge union

Do you even have a passport?

I'm old, and I thought I was quite well informed about US politics, but I'd never heard of him before. It's shocking, sure, and I'm very sure there will be repercussions in the UK.

Charlie kirk was assassinated infront of an audience his death was forced through our screens at us social media refused to take it down tiktok actually labelled it as no violation at first even now they have only removed the close up shots distance and screen shots are still flying around my own blasted son had it sent to him by a friend on his discord its going to effect people its been thrown in their faces the way other deaths haven't

Why would you pretend to be British? 😵‍💫