The day earlier than he was horrifically murdered, Charlie Kirk despatched me a direct message on X.
He and I had been sparring publicly over the killing of a Ukrainian refugee and its relationship to race.
He stated the ugly killing of a White girl by a Black man was motivated solely by anti-White hatred. I denounced these feedback on CNN as unfounded. He went on TV and denounced MY denunciation. Then he unleashed a firehose of tweets, difficult my argument.
Kirk’s pushback sparked a web based torrent of racist dying threats towards me, the likes of which I’ve not often seen.
Issues had been critically heading off the rails.
Then — in the course of all this — Charlie Kirk reached out.
Charlie Kirk’s stunning message
He invited me to return on his present to speak with him. He wrote:
“Hey, Van, I imply it, I’d like to have you ever on my present to have a respectful dialog about crime and race. I’d be a gentleman as I do know you’ll be as nicely. We will disagree in regards to the points agreeably.”
A direct message from conservative activist Charlie Kirk to Van Jones, a day earlier than Kirk was shot and killed at a talking occasion. – Van Jones
Sadly, earlier than I may even reply, Charlie Kirk was killed — seemingly assassinated for the phrases he’s spoken, although the killer’s precise motives are nonetheless being investigated.
I’ve taken challenge with lots of these phrases — generally strongly — however by no means his proper to talk them. By no means his proper to precise these views after which go residence to his household. That may be a sacred American worth.
Condemning homicide isn’t onerous
So it was not onerous for me to sentence his homicide — instantly, with out qualification and in unconditional phrases.
That afternoon I tweeted:
“At this time’s assault on Charlie Kirk is completely horrifying and heartbreaking. He fought with phrases not weapons. There isn’t any place for political violence in our society and people accountable have to be swiftly delivered to justice. My prayers are with Charlie’s family members, the traumatized college students at Utah Valley College and all who’ve been impacted by this mindless act.”
Political homicide is unsuitable, interval. I used to be born in 1968 — into a rustic being torn aside by riots and assassinations. I don’t need to return to that. None of us ought to.
In reality: Kirk’s homicide offers us all motive to return again to the desk for dialogue. There’s a rising tide of political violence that has already swept away his life and plenty of others’ lives, from each the Left and the Proper.
Violence like this could compel folks in each events to show down the warmth, search frequent floor and search for off-ramps from the vitriol — as Kirk was doing with me, the day earlier than he died.
Charlie Kirk opposed censorship and ‘civil struggle’
However as a substitute, the alternative is occurring. Persons are utilizing his horrific assassination to name for MORE violence — justifying homicide and even calling for a civil struggle! Authorities officers are utilizing his killing as an excuse to censor and silence dissent.
Maintain up! Wait a minute!
That’s NOT the best way Charlie Kirk dealt with disagreement. By no means.
When our public dispute began going sideways, what was Kirk’s response?
He pushed for extra dialog, no more silencing or censorship.
He pushed for extra civility, no more stridency or venom.
No matter you consider Kirk’s legacy, that straightforward truth is commendable — and it’s one thing that everybody ought to uphold and search to copy.
In case you are on the Proper, please don’t quit on open debate and dialogue. Charlie didn’t. I received’t. And I make the identical plea to of us on the Left.
Don’t get tricked into violence
And no matter aspect you’re on, don’t let your self get whipped up into believing that political violence is the best way. Let’s be actual: A lot of the of us on-line calling for homicide and mayhem couldn’t win a battle with a housefly. They faux to be badasses who’re able to storm the barricades.
Most aren’t.
And for what it’s price: You may assume we HATE one another on TV and on-line. However for probably the most half, we don’t. We debate onerous. We attempt to win elections. Alongside the best way, we generally piss one another off.
However we don’t want hurt on one another. We don’t need extra bloodshed in our nation. We don’t need extra funerals in America. Most pundits and influencers are NOT making an attempt to spark some sort of civil struggle. We’re simply doing our jobs and fulfilling our callings, as greatest we are able to. That’s all.
When issues get out of hand, often anyone calls anyone. We attempt to discuss. We search restore. As a result of we every simply need to have the ability to say our piece and get residence to our children. That’s it.
Please — everybody — contemplate taking an analogous method in your individual place and area. Let’s get off this scary path that we’re on. Let’s resolve — in Charlie Kirk’s phrases — to “disagree in regards to the points agreeably.”
The precise strategy to battle
For all our variations, neither Charlie nor I ever needed to see the opposite individual harmed or silenced.
On the contrary: I’d have needed to beat Charlie Kirk intellectually — by out-debating him. I’d have needed to see progressives beat him politically — by out-organizing him.
Neither job would have been straightforward. Charlie Kirk was among the finest debaters and organizers of our age. However that will have been the proper manner for us to deal with our variations.
That’s what was on the desk when he messaged me on Tuesday of final week.
Sadly, a coward’s bullet robbed conservatives of a rising expertise, progressives of a worthy opponent and a household of a loving father.
Within the wake of that homicide, Individuals have a option to make.
We will select to go the best way of extra violence, extra outrage and extra censorship — if we need to.
But when we select censorship and civil struggle, we can not blame that selection on Charlie Kirk!
From his final 24 hours, I’ve the proof that he needed to go a really completely different manner.
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