9 hours ago
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On Friday’s edition of NPR’s “It’s Been a Minute,” host Brittany Luse stated that Charlie Kirk “said some extremely bigoted things. Because of that, I have seen and heard some folks who are saying something like, this type of violence shouldn’t happen, but I’m not mad that it did happen to this person, meaning Charlie Kirk.”
Luse said, [relevant exchange begins around 12:55] “[L]ooking to the left, Charlie Kirk was undeniably a polarizing figure for his, at times, extreme conservative views. He said some extremely bigoted things. Because of that, I have seen and heard some folks who are saying something like, this type of violence shouldn’t happen, but I’m not mad that it did happen to this person, meaning Charlie Kirk. What would you say to someone who takes that kind of stance in this politically-charged moment?”
Guardian Reporter Abené Clayton responded, “I think that’s a tough one, you know what I mean? Because it’s like, even that comes with its own dangers. You know what I’m saying? I’m a black woman. To me, the things he was saying [were] like, no, this just does not work for me, this is racist, this is trifling. And I also think there’s a little bit of pressure from other folks on the left to see Democratic lawmakers say, like, this person was horrible, this is bad, yes, but also look at what he said. I think that’s what people want, but that’s not super advisable if we’re trying to create an environment of, like, peace, safety, and justice for everyone.”
At the beginning of the show, Luse stated, “America is divided on how to respond to this moment. I have seen some people on the right calling for revenge. I’ve seen some people on the left indifferent or even cheering that this right-wing pundit, who frequently spouted bigoted views, was killed. I’ve also seen people of all political backgrounds fearing for what the shooting and the reaction to it mean for this country’s future.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
English (US)