Reflecting on Charlie Kirk’s Legacy

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, discussions about his legacy in the liberal media continue. One has to wonder—did his frequent invitations for college students to engage in public discussions really harm democracy?

Measuring “hate” might seem inevitable when it ventures into rational debate. However, when it manifests as violence, like a bullet, the thoughts shift. We tend to think that if only we could cut off the source of such violence.

Shakur, who was part of the Black Liberation Army, a group with roots in Black Nationalism and Marxism, ultimately killed him.

This contrasts with the police killer who recently passed away and remains a fugitive.

That title—from Left radicals performing in a mainstream publication—could be viewed as one of the more favorable obituaries for the woman born Joan Byron. Yet, even the New York Times stumbled when labeling Shakur’s actions by titling her “The Convicted Revolution.”

The FBI officially labeled her a “terrorist,” but does that really tell the whole story?

American Women

While the New York Times acknowledged the grim reality of her case, it also presented Shakur’s narrative in a light that allowed her words more space. She confessed, “I didn’t feel like a black woman or an American woman. I felt like an African woman,” in her 1987 memoir, *Assata*.

This approach to “objectivity” seems to bolster a mainstream liberal consensus.

Essentially, the consensus suggests that Shakur’s intentions were virtuous, her cause valid, elevating her to the status of an American—or at least an “American”—hero.

“Resting in Power”

It’s this viewpoint that has led hip-hop figures like Common and Public Enemy to celebrate Shakur as an anti-racist icon. The Chicago Teachers Union officially eulogized her as a “leader of freedom,” conveniently glossing over the man her actions took from this world.

Interestingly, leftists seem to stray from the typical “rest in peace” sentiment when a hero dies. Instead, they prefer “resting in power.”

Perhaps it stems from a belief that there’s no death in their frame of reference—only power to be seized and maintained in a world rife with struggle.

If this is the ultimate measure of a life well-lived, then one might excuse countless “collateral damages.”

The Murder Failed

One doesn’t need to scrutinize the details of Shakur’s accomplishments too closely. She became infamous as a member of the Black Liberation Army, a group that emerged from the Black Panthers.

The group’s manifesto claimed a mission to dismantle a “capitalist, imperialist, racist, and sexist” system, aspiring for full control over black people’s destiny. Yet, by 1981, as the group dissolved, they hadn’t achieved these lofty aims.

In their 11 years of existence, they engaged in approximately 60 violent acts, with outcomes including bombings, hijackings, and assaults on law enforcement.

Any rational society would regard the BLA as a failure in its violent endeavors. Still, it seems there’s a tendency to ignore the chaos while amplifying the message. Are we truly surprised that today’s activists are picking up the torch?

Next time leftists criticize those mourning Kirk’s legacy as celebrating a “hatemonger,” perhaps they might reflect on some of their own “heroic” figures.

Mumia Abu Jamal

Legend: Mumia Abu Jamal, an acclaimed author and journalist, is often portrayed as a symbol of injustice and a leader in the movement for prisoner rights, despite being imprisoned since 1981.

Reality: He was found guilty of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner, shot dead during a routine traffic stop. Witnesses reported seeing him exit a vehicle and shoot Faulkner multiple times.

Leonard Peltier

Legend: Leonard Peltier is celebrated as a fierce advocate for Native American rights, lauded by celebrities and organizations alike, reflecting a supposed government bias against Native sovereignty.

Reality: Peltier was convicted of killing two FBI agents during a violent encounter. Despite claims of procedural issues in his trial, the conviction remains intact for nearly half a century.

Kathy Boudin

Legend: Kathy Boudin is often framed as a victim of her times, who turned her life around to become an academic and advocate for social justice after serving prison time.

Reality: Boudin narrowly escaped death in a botched bomb-making incident before later pleading guilty to felony murder connected with a robbery that resulted in the deaths of two police officers.

Bill Ayers

Legend: Bill Ayers is known as an anti-war advocate who later became a respected educator, dismissed as merely a youthful radical.

Reality: He was a co-founder of the Weather Underground, responsible for bombings targeting government buildings and police stations. Remarkably, Ayers once stated in an interview that he regretted not doing more harm.

Bernardine Dohrn

Legend: Bernardine Dohrn, a radical figure in her own right, is viewed as a committed feminist and social justice advocate.

Reality: Married to Ayers, she has a history of making troubling remarks praising violent acts committed by others, later framing them as “sarcasm.”

Angela Davis

Legend: Angela Davis is celebrated as a scholarly icon of resistance, falsely accused of wrongdoings as a result of her political stance.

Reality: The firearms used in a deadly courthouse attack were registered to her. While she was acquitted, her connections to the tragic incident remain significant.