Bunny Trails

[Szdfan]

One option is to choose not to watch such videos. I don’t. There is plenty of commentary to read or listen to from reliable commentators to tell me what happened. That’s how I approached both of the terrible killings that happened this week.

I also read about bad things that happen in the local newspaper. I think it’s generally best to avoid watching these kinds of videos.

I think choosing not to watch is a legitimate and appropriate choice. In this case, the video of Kirk’s assassination unexpectedly appeared in people’s feeds without warning. I think this is one of the reasons why this moment feels different — it wasn’t just private consumption, it was shared public exposure.

I agree with you. The need to be the first to share bad news seems to be a human failing. We have a few people I’ve known in my life who want to be the first to share bad news AND shape everyone else’s opinion about it.
I was shocked by that video being allowed on social media where young people could see it. I saw it and I was shocked. I can’t unsee it. It’s traumatizing.
I hope this is thoroughly investigated. All of it not just the assassination but how it’s been shared in the media so that this can be addressed. Any child with a smart phone or computer has access to horror.

Something messed up. Either it wasn't flagged as sensitive or objectionable content fast enough, or the algorithm pushed it because it was trending and that's what algorithms do. By the time I was able to access TikTok, it was no longer being pushed in my feed and I had to look for it.

A bunch of my middle school students either saw it or were aware of it. We had brief conversations about the assassination and the school shooting that happened in Evergreen the same day. I warned my students not to watch the video, but many of them already had.

One of the challenges at this time is that most of us have a constant stream of information and have to learn how to filter through it all, discerning what is worth our time and attention. I think Kirk's assassination is the first one I can remember in which graphic video of it was posted almost instantly. That's something new. That's almost like watching the planes hit the Twin Towers on 9/11 on live television. That's not something our society is ready for, but it's already the world that we live in.

One of the challenges during this information and communication revolution is that the pace of technology often outpaces our ability as a society to deal with it. We have to find new ways to help our children and young people deal with these kinds of images because they're not going away.

[ohio jones]

I warned my students not to watch the video, but many of them already had.

Telling middle school students not to watch a video seems like it would have predictable results.

[Szdfan]

I warned my students not to watch the video, but many of them already had.

Telling middle school students not to watch a video seems like it would have predictable results.

Well…yeah…it was after the fact for a lot of them.

[Ken]

When I think of political outrage, I think of yelling at people and talking over them. I think of someone not even allowing people to voice their own views and denigrating them.

I never saw Kirk do that sort of " political outrage Schtick". I did see him allow people to speak their ideas and beliefs. I saw him debating liberal ideas in a calm and kind manner, using common sense and rational explanations.

He isn't even buried yet and to me, the thought of him being lied about, is just sad.

I'm talking about things like Charlie Kirk blaming the drowning deaths of summer camp girls at Camp Mystic on the race of Austin's fire chief. Which he did on the air just last month.

Maybe you don't consider that political outrage schtick but I do. There are other things we can call it too.

[ken_sylvania]

I'm talking about things like Charlie Kirk blaming the drowning deaths of summer camp girls at Camp Mystic on the race of Austin's fire chief. Which he did on the air just last month.

Maybe you don't consider that political outrage schtick but I do. There are other things we can call it too.

Did you actually hear him say that, and or is that just an article of faith that you have?

[Ken]

I'm talking about things like Charlie Kirk blaming the drowning deaths of summer camp girls at Camp Mystic on the race of Austin's fire chief. Which he did on the air just last month.

Maybe you don't consider that political outrage schtick but I do. There are other things we can call it too.

Did you actually hear him say that, and or is that just an article of faith that you have?

Judge for yourself

[ken_sylvania]

I'm talking about things like Charlie Kirk blaming the drowning deaths of summer camp girls at Camp Mystic on the race of Austin's fire chief. Which he did on the air just last month.

Maybe you don't consider that political outrage schtick but I do. There are other things we can call it too.

Did you actually hear him say that, and or is that just an article of faith that you have?

Judge for yourself

So no, he did not.

[temporal1]

P.12:

Charlie Kirk’s religion was Roman Catholicism.

I've seen reports that his home church was Godspeak Calvary Chapel of Newbury Park, CA. I don't think they are Catholic. Would it be accurate to describe his religion as Christian Nationalism?

i’ve seen a brief statement from his young wife, i’m sure she’s beyond overwhelmed, in shock, and may be that way for years.
i’ve read she’s a devout Catholic, the children are being raised Catholic, Charlie has attended mass with them, maybe regularly?
(i identify with all of this, altho my husband didn’t die suddenly.) There’s never a good time or way.

Charlie was young, no one knows how a longer life on earth would have unfolded, i presume his faith was in process.
i presume faith is always in process, no matter days on earth. Always more to learn! Ways to grow.

i wouldn’t use the label Christian Nationalist, i avoid that label. i don’t see it bearing good fruit.

i continue to respect the Amish response to their horrifying loss at Nickel Mines, when elders firmly rejected all media coverage and protected their community from public scrutiny to the greatest extent possible.

CK with Catholic Dr Taylor Marshall on Catholicism
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOebFxWkgG4/

i don’t view CK as an end in faith, he was a work in process.
certainly, enough to inspire many to pursue their own faith journeys.

there are many many good/godly young men, let us appreciate and encourage them to seek God’s will in their lives.

[JohnL]

I agree with you. The need to be the first to share bad news seems to be a human failing. We have a few people I’ve known in my life who want to be the first to share bad news AND shape everyone else’s opinion about it.
I was shocked by that video being allowed on social media where young people could see it. I saw it and I was shocked. I can’t unsee it. It’s traumatizing.
I hope this is thoroughly investigated. All of it not just the assassination but how it’s been shared in the media so that this can be addressed. Any child with a smart phone or computer has access to horror.

Something messed up. Either it wasn't flagged as sensitive or objectionable content fast enough, or the algorithm pushed it because it was trending and that's what algorithms do. By the time I was able to access TikTok, it was no longer being pushed in my feed and I had to look for it.

A bunch of my middle school students either saw it or were aware of it. We had brief conversations about the assassination and the school shooting that happened in Evergreen the same day. I warned my students not to watch the video, but many of them already had.

One of the challenges at this time is that most of us have a constant stream of information and have to learn how to filter through it all, discerning what is worth our time and attention. I think Kirk's assassination is the first one I can remember in which graphic video of it was posted almost instantly. That's something new. That's almost like watching the planes hit the Twin Towers on 9/11 on live television. That's not something our society is ready for, but it's already the world that we live in.

One of the challenges during this information and communication revolution is that the pace of technology often outpaces our ability as a society to deal with it. We have to find new ways to help our children and young people deal with these kinds of images because they're not going away.

There's old tech that worked quite well to control content and allow monitors to catch the objectionable stuff. It was the time delayed broadcast. It would delay the material for just a few minutes before it was sent out over the airwaves. I'm thinking that social media and other sites need to go back to doing that. The instant gratification of seeing a post hit the platform isn't allowing anybody or thing enough time to screen for horrific content.

[ken_sylvania]

A young husband and father has been killed, a family is shattered, and most of us are shaken. Whatever our views of Charlie Kirk, we can share in mourning.

At the same time, I think it’s worth keeping a few things in mind as we talk together:

• Many are already presenting Charlie Kirk as if he were a saint or martyr for our common faith. I doubt that’s the reason, and we simply don’t yet know the shooter’s motives.
• We can grieve the loss of a husband and father without immediately debating what Kirk stood for, or assuming his faith expression was a fully Jesus-centered, Kingdom-first faith. That’s a bigger conversation, and maybe not one for this moment of raw grief.
• It’s worth remembering that many people preach openly on campuses every day without facing violence. This tragic act, while devastating, should not be taken as the automatic outcome of public Christian witness.
• And when it comes to the flood of tweets and videos, we really don’t know who produced them or how they were funded or amplified. Some are surely personal and heartfelt; others may be coordinated or boosted by groups with political interests. Weirdly, Twitter has made it really hard to track these things down, it used to be much easier.

We can honor the grief without rushing into hagiography or being swept away by online narratives.

I hope we can keep compassion at the center—grieving with those who grieve, while also exercising wisdom and patience before drawing larger conclusions.

You have got to be so much fun at parties. ~s

Seriously, can't you back off for a few days. I think a bit of empathy for those who are grieving Kirk's death would be appropriate. It wouldn't cause you lasting damage to say only kind things for a week. Like you said, we can grieve the loss without immediately debating what Kirk stood for. Would you please allow people to do that instead of constantly injecting your negative opinions about Kirk and his program.
I didn't know Kirk, nor was I familiar with his program, but to insist on making negative comments about him, especially after being asked to stop, just seems nasty. Certainly not the way Jesus behaved when dealing with hurting people.