Former President says political violence is ‘anathema to what it means to be a democratic country’
Former President Barack Obama on Tuesday called the recent assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk a “horrific and a tragedy,” while speaking at the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Authorities have since charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with his murder and plan to seek the death penalty.
“Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, what happened to Charlie Kirk was horrific and a tragedy,” Obama stated. “And there are no ifs, ands or buts about it, the central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resort to violence.”
The former president acknowledged that while political violence is not a new phenomenon in the U.S., it is “anathema to what it means to be a democratic country.”
He stressed the importance of condemning such acts, even when the victims hold opposing political views. “When it happens to some but even if you think they’re, quote, unquote, on the other side of the argument, that’s a threat to all of us. And we have to be clear and forthright in condemning them,” he said.
Obama also addressed the discourse surrounding the assassination, noting that there has been “some confusion” in the aftermath. He expressed concern about what he perceived as a rush to “identify an enemy” and “use that as a rationale for trying to silence discussion.”
He also explicitly said that while he disagreed with some of Kirk’s ideas, such as his comments on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that doesn’t “negate the fact that what happened was a tragedy.”
“I mourn for him and his family,” Obama said. “He’s a young man with two small children and a wife… We have to extend grace to people during their period of mourning and shock.”
In a broader discussion on the state of the nation, Obama praised Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro for their approaches to political debate and their responses to tragedies. He contrasted these with what he described as rhetoric from the current White House, where he noted aides have a “history of calling political opponents ‘vermin’, enemies who need to be ‘targeted.’”
Obama concluded by saying the country is at an “inflection point,” and that it is up to all citizens to “stand up for certain core values” to preserve democracy.
READ: FBI’s “Arctic Frost” Targeted 92 GOP Groups And Individuals, Including Kirk’s Turning Point USA
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