OPINION: Assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has brought the worst out in some; have we reached a point of no return?

FALL RIVER, MA – In the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, social media has become a bigger cesspool. Have we gotten to the point of no return?

It is no secret that in the last few years the political divide has grown wider, and yesterday’s violent act has put a glaring light on that disparity.

Social media can be a wonderful place where people share their lives, people come together for a worthy cause, and the public can become more informed. It has also become a place where others try to push agendas, spew hate, and believe any meme they see if it fits their narrative, no matter the source or how ridiculous it may seem.

In the last 24 hours some folks on platforms have gotten out of control and it makes you wonder if we can ever get back to some form of civility.

Massachusetts teachers have been suspended for insensitive comments involving Kirk’s death. Fall River Reporter has received posts from Fall River teachers, loan officers, and others, that are inappropriate and makes you wonder if people are thinking before they post. It is not one sided either. Kirk’s death has led to unproven accusations against the entire Democratic Party and blaming any liberal for all of the country’s ailments before the background of the shooter has even been revealed.

It is understandable that some saw Kirk as a divisive figure as he has made comments that have hurt and upset people, however, cheering someone’s death and in such a horrific fashion isn’t really what Americans are about is it?

Maybe because I don’t belong to a political party or get hung up on political candidates, I can look at things more objectively than most, but the public as a whole needs to be better. That includes the politicians and commentators that have profited from, and helped fuel, this divide.

We all have a lot in common despite the war going on between the left and right on social media. We all want the basic necessities. We all want health and happiness. To love and be loved. To have a job we don’t hate. To enjoy family and friends. So why can’t we, at the very least, express condolences when someone is killed no matter if they have an R or D next to their name?

I don’t expect the few words I have articulated here is going to make the citizens of the United States do a 180, but I do hope it makes some people think. Heck, just one person becoming a little more civil makes the time I spent writing this worth it.

For the record, I am a flawed person just like everyone else, but I’d like to think I am pretty good at putting myself in other people’s shoes which stops me from wanting to cheer the murder of any political figure.

There is a part of me that believes that slowly we can turn back to a time when we all were a little better. Prove me right.