If you were unlucky enough to see the video of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I feel for you. It’s the worst thing I’ve seen in a long time – because it was real.
Seeing a man’s life end in a single, extremely violent moment …
Don’t look away.
Millions of people saw one of the many faces of Evil Wednesday afternoon. We think we know what Evil looks like. Sometimes it’s big and ugly, but often it’s small and seemingly harmless.
Regardless, don’t look away.
Faith enables us to overcome fear. Honestly, it demands it. One cannot be fearful and faithful. Fear is the natural response to Evil. Evil wants you to cower in fear and hide your face.
But don’t look away.
Only someone who is choosing not to understand what’s going on would say Evil isn’t real or it’s not a serious problem.
I’m finished arguing with fools. Evil exists, and it’s here.
We’ve put up with it for too long, and we’re reaping the results of our inaction.
Our complacency.
Our inadequacy.
Our fear.
You can’t look away.
I mourn all the innocent people murdered because we’ve allowed Evil people to live free.
It’s time to call it what it is. I’m not afraid anymore. There is no “middle ground” here. It’s a visceral feeling, and you know what Evil is when you see it. Stop acting like you can’t call it out.
Stop looking away.
It’s already written that Evil will be eliminated in the end, but that doesn’t mean we have to let it run wild now. Stand up and look at it. Expose it for how powerless it really is. Then destroy it with love and truth.
Cultivate your righteous anger. Refuse to be weak.
Whatever you do, don’t look away.
Isaac Taylor is one of the owners of the Hamilton County Reporter, as well as the circulation director and page designer. You won’t find him anywhere online, so don’t bother looking.
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Publisher’s note
The Hamilton County Reporter Newspaper has great respect for the media outlets that chose to pause the video playback during the shooting of Charlie Kirk. In some instances, they let the audio play, then resumed video playback after the camera turned to the crowd.
That shows a level of respect for the family and an awareness that young people everywhere are often watching the same things as the rest of us.
We applaud every news outlet that did not turn a man’s death into clickbait.
Thank you for that.
To everyone who shared, without warning, the gruesome scenes in their raw and unedited form: you should be ashamed.