"A strange thing happens when a notable public figure is killed: Their rough edges are sanded down, and a multidimensional person is flattened into the simplicity of a myth. This has happened with jarring speed to Charlie Kirk, the conservative influencer murdered last week in Utah. Many paeans to Kirk, including from those who opposed him on many issues, have focused on Kirk's eagerness to engage with those with whom he disagreed."
"Kirk's commitment to debate was inextricable from his political views; he wasn't a value-neutral advocate for free speech. Kirk arose as a countercultural figure and deployed the First Amendment as a crucial tool for spreading his ideas: In an environment where they were not welcome, he pointed out that they were protected. Now that Kirk's political allies hold power, however, many appear eager to suppress ideas they dislike."
Charlie Kirk's murder produced rapid canonization that smoothed his complexities into myth. Many tributes emphasize his eagerness to engage opponents, sometimes likening him to other assassinated leaders. Kirk used debate strategically to advance partisan views rather than as a neutral defense of free speech. He built influence by founding Turning Point USA chapters on campuses and invoking the First Amendment to protect abrasive or bigoted expressions. With Kirk's allies now in power, admiration for his free-speech posture sits uneasily alongside efforts by some conservatives to suppress dissent, revealing an internal tension within the MAGA movement.
Read at The Atlantic
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