Racism, Rhetoric, and Charlie Kirk: A Reality We Can’t Ignore

by Graylan Scott Hagler, Word in Black

Rev. Graylan Scott Hagler says Kirk’s death reminds us that violence dressed as debate and politics has always been a threat.

There are so many words and cliches condemning the killing of Charles James Kirk, and none of the refrains are unique. 

“We need to dial back our discourse”, “we need to be tolerant of different opinions,” and “there is no room in American politics for political violence.” 

Are people blind to the realities that have been swirling all around us? The language has been violent. The discord has been great. There has been a consistent invitation to dine at the table of heated racist discussion posing as legitimate political speech. 

The killing of Charlie Kirk fits within this arena of speech that is racist and hate-filled, but is designed to pose as rational and logical political speech. 

In his rhetoric and so-called debate style this 31-year-old evangelical firebrand of the right has stated that Black pilots were incompetent, Gays should be stoned, ironically he was opposed to gun control, abortion, LGBTQ rights, criticized the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Martin Luther King Jr., promoted Christian nationalism, advanced COVID-19 misinformation, made false claims of electoral fraud in 2020, and was a proponent of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory. 

[…]

Kirk infused politics with racial innuendo and rhetorically violated the safety and security of Black people and other people of color, and the LGBTQIA community. He perverted the history of race and racism in America, attempted to legitimize the nation as a white bastion of civilization and Christianity, and, in general, perfected the use of racial and hateful language — molding it into a form of acceptable and legitimate political debate and viewpoint. 

But the legitimate debate aspect was far from legitimate historical benign speech, nor was it nonviolent in character. In fact, it touched all of the refrains of the vile language of the past that resulted far too many times in lynchings and other forms of racial violence and upheaval.

Continue reading. Check out this article about Kirk’s racism.

Discover more about white supremacy, which people like Kirk uphold.

More Black news.