Freedom of speech and thought. Ultimately, this is our reason for existence in news/talk radio. With the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I think our nation needs a frank conversation about tribalism and the labeling of those with differing beliefs as somehow being subhuman.
Charlie Kirk was a guy who went to college campuses and stated his political, cultural, and religious beliefs for all who chose to attend.
A Charlie Kirk event was not a forced presentation by a university, unlike some college professors who make their classes all about their personal political thoughts, with students who must comply to get a good grade. Charlie took on all comers and treated everyone with respect. I have seen a few reels or shorts on social media that take partial statements from Charlie Kirk to make him look like a bigot. For the record, I never met Charlie Kirk. Perhaps you had the honor of interacting with him.
Just because I may disagree with someone does not mean they are subhuman in some way. Blame it on the internet, but part of our micro-tribalism is human nature. Humans love to associate with individuals like themselves. This is probably an instinct that originated with early Homo sapiens. The internet has led people to pursue whatever their interests may be. Most of this is really good. The problem is the development of a myopic worldview. We live in a world with a wide range of beliefs and interests. Confirmation bias may create in some people an aversion to those who see things in a different way.
If you are a talk show host, it is very likely that you have ticked off someone in a very primal way. If you have done this for a while, you likely have received some sort of threat to your physical well-being. We are now at a tipping point where people are seeking to destroy those they hate. This is not winning in ideas but actual murder.
Humans can achieve amazing things. We have put people on the moon. Humans eradicated smallpox. Humans have created countless useful and helpful things. We are also able to destroy. We can blow up the world. Human rights violations are occurring in the majority of the world. In the United Kingdom, of all places, people are being jailed for opinions.
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) said this about free speech during last year’s presidential campaign: “There is no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy.”
Just evaluate this statement. What determines misinformation? We have certainly heard from experts about things that turned out to be completely wrong. Do we publicly arrest those who were wrong? How many wrong predictions on Covid? Is that characterized as misinformation, and do we jail those who were wrong? You have heard the saying that politics and religion don’t mix. I think mixing politics and science is way worse.
Historically, “science” was used to discriminate against Black Americans in the United States. Nazi Germany used science as the reasoning for exterminating the Jews and to confirm the Germanic master race. Jailing those with whom we disagree is a slippery slope that we do not want to slide down.
No one should be assassinated for their beliefs. Yet I have seen some disgusting human beings cheering Charlie Kirk’s assassination. This is evil. If we are at a place where the only way to win a discussion over differing opinions on any subject is murder, we are not in a good place as a society.
Be an advocate for the free expression of ideas. There used to be a group called the American Civil Liberties Union, and their focus used to be free speech. The ACLU was famous for defending speech that would be considered unpopular or even hideous. The organization’s origins surrounded anti-war speech during World War I. Now, the ACLU is focused on immigrant rights, trans justice, and reproductive rights, according to aclu.org.
Charlie Kirk created an atmosphere of questioning popular social trends. This is very good for our society. I think personal exposure to people who think differently from you is a positive and learning experience. We can work on having better positions on our shows by understanding the people who disagree. Charlie Kirk was fearless. This is important for every host in news/talk radio. Charlie Kirk said what was on his mind in a polite and respectful way.
I don’t know how we move past this attitude. How do we get back to considering every individual a child of God who is a precious creation? I don’t know. I guess this starts with the man or woman in the mirror. I think this is something we all must examine ourselves over.
Do you consider those people who disagree with you as subhuman? It is human nature to be drawn to people who see things the way you do. When is the last time you had lunch with a friend who has different ideas? I always try to know people who have different outlooks. I befriend them. My viewpoint has been sharpened by those who see things differently. I have learned much. Perhaps instead of hating people who are not of your or my tribe, it may be time to listen—like Charlie Kirk did.
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Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He currently serves as News/Talk Format Captain for Zimmer Communications. Prior to joining Zimmer, Peter held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Des Moines, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
