I hadn’t planned on discussing the Charlie Kirk assassination, in fact, I intentionally did not mention it yesterday, I had heard about the incident while typing away – a friend had texted me giving me the heads up – but the incident was still too fresh and there was more speculation than fact.
I am neither a fan, nor hater, or Charlie Kirk. Frankly, I never really cared much about him or what he has done. To my more conservative friends, he’s practically presented as the second coming of Jesus, though to my more liberal friends he is evil incarnate. Personally, I think he was just a dude who found his niche on social media and spun it into an empire.
What I do have an opinion on is the rise in political violence, how both sides seem to celebrate when their opposition takes a hit, and how things seem to be escalating. Assassinations are nothing new in politics, but it seems like the celebratory nature is – though that could just be the fact that people have been conditioned to put their every thought out to the world on social media.
To me, it seems like more than that. I feel that since our political and cultural environments have become so divisive, and that social media cliques tend to “reward” members for their hot takes, we’ve finally reached the point where people finally feel comfortable embracing and sharing their most extreme viewpoints publicly. We are at the stage where when there is a shooting, instead of concern for the victims, more people are scrambling to find out the politics of the perpetrator – so they know whether to celebrate or cry out in condemnation. Luigi Mangione (allegedly) murdered a man in cold blood, yet because the victim was a corporate executive and Mangione’s politics align with theirs, there are groups of people venerating him and his actions – even going as far as suggesting it needs to happen more often.
But I got distracted with Libertarian party bullshit that ate up most of the afternoon…
Interesting Tidbits
Song of the day: Survivalism by Nine Inch Nails
Daily Samurai Routine Could Reduce Risk of Falls in Seniors – “A randomized controlled trial by researchers from Tohoku University in Japan shows the daily practice of Rei-ho – a mindful practice of physical etiquette involving slow and careful sitting, standing, and walking movements – can boost strength in the knees, potentially protecting seniors against falls and injuries.”
Greenville Spider-Man saves two stuck on downtown waterfall – “Greenville Spider-Man, an 18-year-old local superhero, recently rescued two people stuck on the waterfall at Falls Park, demonstrating his dedication to helping the community.”