Updated 3:16 p.m. EDT, 8 October 2025
Picture this: you wake up in the morning, look on X to do some scrolling before you start your day, and as soon as you open the app, you see the following discourse:
A post detailing the words of Rep. Jasmine Crockett, stating that “the rhetoric that Charlie [Kirk] continuously put out there was rhetoric that specifically targeted people of color.”
Now, this statement obviously generated responses. But the following tweets of MAGA activist Laura Loomer were bone-chillingly awful. Loomer escalated the situation by using racist language to personally attack Crockett, calling her “Ghetto” and other words that cannot be printed in this newspaper.
Is it really that controversial to say that this cruelty isn’t right?
“Is it really that controversial to say that this cruelty isn’t right?”
A recent article republished on PBS, covering the political climate after the murder of Charlie Kirk claimed President Donald Trump stated: “The radical left causes tremendous violence” and “they should be put in jail.”
Now, if these words were only taken in context of Kirk’s assassination and the attempted assassination of Trump last summer, they would be taken as fact. However, Trump isn’t telling the whole story. In 2017, Heather Heyer was killed at the Charlottesville Rally. In 2021, Ashley Babbitt was shot and killed on January 6, when MAGA republicans shouting “Hang Mike Pence!” vandalized the US Capitol Building. Following this, four law enforcement officers committed suicide. And many of us are quick to forget the murder of Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota State Representative, and her husband, Mark, this July.
Funny how that is.
As Christians, scholars, and people in general, we have to avoid the temptation to blame only one side for the horrendous political violence that is decimating America. We need to recognize that every life is meaningful, and that includes everyone on the political spectrum. We must try to respect our differences and disagree politely, even though so many will not give us the same courtesy. If we blame the other side for the same things that we do, how can we judge them?
“If we blame the other side for the same things that we do, how can we judge them?”
I admit I don’t always think in such a tolerant manner. Growing up in a large public school, among people amazed Republicans even existed, I was often tempted to blame the right for America’s problems. After all, as a liberal, wouldn’t that be the logical course of action? I rationalized blaming the other side. But after I’d do so, a feeling of deep conviction comes in. Am I being a hypocrite? Would I hold Democrats to the same high standards that I hold Republicans to?
Finding this balance isn’t always easy. But, we have to start at the root: condemning violence. We should never celebrate when a person has been murdered. Nor should our anger over the tumultuous political climate make us mock others for their race, sexual orientation, gender, or faith. That restraint can be hard, especially when everyone else is viciously attacking each other. But seeing today’s political headlines and posts on X reinforces the need to have civil conversation instead of cruel language and mocking rhetoric.
I hope this simple reminder of respecting others doesn’t become obsolete in a world of extremism. We need to embody the basic kindness and courtesy towards others, as our LORD Jesus preached.
That can’t be that controversial, can it? ★
Julia Collins is a senior with a major in history and a minor in english. In her spare time she enjoys reading fiction, annoying her friends, and whining about the Denver Broncos.
