In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, there have been many calls for “unity” from a wide variety of politicians, pundits, and other public figures. This sounds reasonable enough, but it begs the following question: Unity with whom? Are Republicans expected to hold hands with Democrats and sing “Kumbaya” knowing that a significant percentage of the latter are willing to inflict violence on the former to achieve their political goals? That is not unity. It is appeasement.
Multiple surveys and studies have shown that today’s Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say political violence is acceptable. Earlier this month, YouGov released a poll that asked respondents, “Do you think it is ever justified for citizens to resort to violence in order to achieve political goals?” Among those who described themselves as “very liberal,” 25 percent answered, “Yes.” Among the “very conservative” respondents, only three percent answered that question in the affirmative.
The optimist might respond that “only” 25 percent of “very liberal” respondents answered “yes.” But shouldn’t we be concerned that fully one-quarter of any subset of the population supports political violence against their fellow citizens?
In addition to showing that liberals overall are eight times more likely to approve of political violence than are conservatives, the survey also suggests that the former are delusional about who perpetrates most of the mayhem. Pollsters raised the issue of left-wing violence versus right-wing violence and asked the respondents, “Which is a bigger problem in America today?” Liberal respondents said that 75 percent of political violence is committed by people on the right.
How is it possible to achieve national unity around a shared set of American values if so many leftists are this far out of touch with reality? As Vice President JD Vance said when he hosted Charlie Kirk’s radio show last Monday, “I’m desperate for our country to be united in condemnation of the actions and the ideas that killed my friend. I want it so badly that I will tell you a difficult truth. We can only have it [unity] with people who acknowledge that political violence is unacceptable.”
For politicians, that doesn’t mean posting empty bromides on X, as former Vice President Kamala Harris did after Charlie Kirk was murdered. “Political violence has no place in America,” she wrote. “I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
That might have some meaning if Harris had apologized for contributing to the left’s incendiary rhetoric by calling President Trump a “fascist” after he survived two assassination attempts. But as is, her words were deafeningly hollow.
It is not a coincidence that the rifle used by Charlie Kirk’s assassin contained bullet casings etched with phrases like, “Hey fascist! CATCH!” There is no separating this creepy stuff from inflammatory rhetoric by Democrats like Harris and her feckless running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who salted his campaign speeches with claims that Trump is “a fascist to his core.” Such accusations aren’t unifying, as Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) pointed out during a Wednesday Senate hearing:
“Earlier this year, a poll found that more than 55 percent of people on the left believed that it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Donald Trump. These are not just some abstractions on a page. These are our fellow citizens. How can we come together with people who believe these things?”
Unity will be particularly difficult as long as Democrats like former President Barack Obama continue to lie about the causes of political polarization and violence. Speaking at a Tuesday event in Pennsylvania, he implied that the real cause of political violence in America is the Trump administration: “When I hear not just our current president, but his aides, who have a history of calling political opponents vermin, enemies who need to be targeted, that speaks to a broader problem that we have right now.”
The left has a term for this kind of rhetoric: “victim blaming.” While they like to constantly hurl that accusation at conservatives, this is yet another case of liberal projection.
The “problem we have right now” is Republicans and their supporters getting shot and killed. Trump was shot, Charlie Kirk was killed. Yet Obama dredged up an out-of-context excerpt from a 2023 Trump speech – a speech not about his political opponents, but about radical left groups funded by the likes of George Soros and unethical prosecutors who tried to jail a former president to prevent him from running again.
All of which brings us back to the difference between appeasement and unity. Appeasement requires us, in the name of unity, to get along with people who have no intention of getting along with us.
Fittingly, “appeasement” entered the popular English lexicon when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler in the absurd hope that the latter would honor the deal and allow Europe to remain at peace. Instead, it encouraged Nazi aggression and led to World War II.
The politicians and other public figures – on the left and the right – who call for unity without defining a specific set of American values to unify around are just as deluded as Chamberlain. Republicans and Independents generally believe in representative democracy and the individual rights enshrined in the Constitution. Leading Democrats, on the other hand, increasingly regard the Constitution as an impediment to the flowering of a vaguely defined utopia in which the state provides “social justice” and “equity.”
The latter vision is favored by a relatively small percentage of the population, but these people don’t feel bound by civility or even the rule of law. Consequently, as we have seen, they are perfectly willing to employ violence to “fundamentally transform” the nation.
In the end, this militant minority will never accept genuine unity. Instead, the best hope for the country is for decent Americans to unify around the traditional values and principles upon which this nation was founded – and unify against those who seek to destroy them.
David Catron is a Senior Editor at the American Spectator. His writing has also appeared in PJ Media, the American Thinker, the Providence Journal, the Catholic Exchange and a variety of other publications.
Unity will never be achieved as long as past Democrat leaders continue to voice their evil rhetoric against the conservatives, and their followers continue to be misled by such rhetoric. If one thinks that the “Freedom of Speech” is being suppressed now, wait till the Democrats regain control of the government and then watch what happens. IT WON’T BE PRETTY.
There can only be unity with those who are my brethren. I stand with the Lord who said I will make you fishers of men. Fish from the right side of the boat. I will not compromise my faith in order to be accepted by the evil sons and daughters of the devil on the left. They will most likely never accept Jesus as Lord and savior in this life.
This so correct; unity cannot be achieved by appeasement, especially with an enemy who is not honorable. We have already seen that most liberal democrats are not honorable and will not keep their word. In fact, they change their position to suit the occasion,
David,
Thoughtful piece on one of the the very real problems facing America today.
The left, including the prevalent faction within the ‘democratic’ party, do not want unity.
They want conformity to their damn party line. As long as that’s what they want, the warning in 2 Corinthians 6.14 applies.
Read the BIBLE. In Ecclesiastes 10:2, the heart of the wise inclines to the RIGHT, but the heart of the fool to the LEFT
“But shouldn’t we be concerned that fully one-quarter (25%) of any subset of the population supports political violence against their fellow citizens”?
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That 25% subset are also the only ones willing to admit it in a survey! That number is probably much higher!
I am still waiting for those involved in the Russia Hoax to go to jail. Why does it seem Demonrats can throw conservative in jail without evidence and we have evidence and they are still free to not serve anytime for it. The Clinton’s, Schumer, Biden, Schiff, Pelosi, Obama (can his chef’s death be reopened?) I don’t care how old or senile they are or if they riddled with cancer. It insane to me that powerful/wealthy can manipulate our country into communist/Marist/socialist construct with zero push back. If I as an American citizen did any of what these people have done, I’d be in jail. ????????♥️????????
appeasement NEVER produces unity.
I suspect Charlie Kirk’s death was as much his dedication to and wisdom about Christianity. It bothers me that a large number of liberal members of our society who support abortion, transgenderism, illegal alien unchallenged passage into our country, and government spending above our means criticize we Americans who are pro-Christianity and its practices, no illegal aliens crossing our borders, anti abortions for convenience, the necessity to accept God’s gender determination for us via birth, and massive annual federal and local government financial deficits. I am called a conservative simply because I am anti each of the concepts above. Interestingly enough, these policies are based on Christian teachings from the Bible. Charlie stood before large Generation Z audience after Gen Z audience and preached Christian, and learned philosophical defenses of Biblical concepts in debates with Gen Z. In my recollection, the majority of the killings these days are by people whose viewpoint on life are anti-Biblical and anti-Christian in both body and soul. In my view, during and since Obama, liberals/democrats have turned to hate speech to define anyone they consider Christian and/or conservative. Charlie Kirk countered the numerous hate speech monikers levied against Christians and conservatives with wisdom, grace, and logic. Millions of people around the world morn our loss of Charlie today. Can it be said for any liberal/democrat/non-Christian?
Appeasement, meaning turning blind eye to left violence and insane agenda, encouraging it to continue on the path of destruction, will not work. Reasoning will not work either, not capable.
The democrats remind me of Hamas, give us just this and we will be happy, then turning on Israel when they let their guard down. I believe that the democrats will do the exact same thing to conservatives. As long as the liberal left remains they will most likely continue murder and every deed that goes along with it.
Can’t have unity with evil
“With liberty and justice for all” is a statement of how unity is possible for all Americans. When justice is applied equally, the liberty is also applied. I am waiting to see justice applied to those who have violated our sacred trust, and be held to account for their crimes against the nation and humanity. When do the arrests begin?
We are fighting a spiritual war. Are we appeasing Satan’s followers in spite of ourselves? Satan doesn’t want forgiveness for any of his follower’s actions. He wants our souls. Never forget that. I doubt that these evildoers are possessed. Influenced? Yes. Each one has made the conscious decision to steal, rape, murder and commit all other acts of violence in the name of Satan. Don’t sugarcoat the obvious…no one is buying it.
This article is 100% true. Sadly.
Live in a very radical college town. Surprisingly the younger people are more conservative than the older people. The older are either of the ‘60s generation or raised by ‘60s generation parents. Affluence has created much of the divide. Parents have over protected and provided too much to their children with little to no action or consequence. So when they don’t get their way buying it, forcing it, even by violent means is seen as acceptable. It will take a lot to change this mindset.
I have said it in the past and will keep saying it, the Democratic Party is for socialism/communism. They want to control everything the American people do and say. Our freedoms will be destroyed if they are allowed to win. The illegals should not be allowed special privileges that the American people have because we the true American citizen will be the losers. Can we find Unity with the Democrats, I don’t think we can because they don’t think for themselves. They look for what is easiest for them to deal with and want others with the same frame of mind to like them. They are in my opinion not worrying about the good for the American people. They want to keep violence in the country so they can change our right to have guns. Easier to control people that way. Unity is to compromise and work together and I don’t see that happening with them. If they were not allowed to keep their positions if they keep supporting violence and the breakdown of out country, maybe just maybe some may see the good of working together and reunite as One Nation Under God. In conclusion for every action there is a reaction, you want Unity then stop the traitors from gaining high positions.
As the last administration “Democrats ” tried pulling us back to the days of civil war “1860’s” so they are still now. They are divided from the rest of our country. The Confederate party cheers at death of president Lincoln. And it was said “Confederatecy will rise again ” This time is now!
Unity is never with those who expound tax and spend.
Until the Democratic Party finds a real leader. There will never be unity. Until they realize all their progress ideas have failed miserably and chance their policies. There can be no unity.
Unity from the left means Tax and Spend!!!
As long as the great majority of decent, patriotic Democrat voters REMAIN SILENT and CONTRIBUTE their dollars in support of radical socialists within their party, this will only get worse.
When I see every House Democrat vote the same way on legislation, that tells me that (1) “moderate” Congressional Democrats no longer exist, and (2) some of them have been threatened with harm unless they get in line.
Few radical Democrat politicians will be voted out of office because propaganda promoting hatred of Donald Trump has been broadcast the past ten years. Patriotic voting Democrats must break away and form a separate party, supporting values that John F. Kennedy once stood for. Even his nephew, RFK, Jr., has left that party because it no longer represents what most if its members believe.
Unity is something I have felt was of the highest priority in order to heal as a nation. But in recent months and this past week more specificly, it has become very obvious that many Americans while saying they don’t support the second amendment, are willing to violently kill people they don’t agree with. I for one don’t want a false unity with people with such hate that they’d be okay in murdering me or my family.
Keep in mind a dead husband and father can no longer protect his wife and children from those with intent of evil.
Jesus said in Mt 5:44 “But I say to you love your enemies,bless those who curse you,do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
Very good analysis of our national dilemma. I couldn’t agree more with the conclusion.
As as one who describes himself as very conservative, I have a difficult time at agreeing with the message. The Democrats are not our enemies. They are fellow citizens. We have ideas that are clearly superior, but we can only solve problems by talking together and finding ways to try and share both sides and gaining some understanding vilifying didn’t make any friends neither does anger. We need to learn to how to disagree in kindness and respect.thank you
If Mrs Kirk forgives the killer of her husband, we need to try even if we don’t succeed.
I don’t even know why people are reading stuff like this when we should all be on our knees praying to the favored first cousin of God…….Saint Kirk of Arlington Heights.
For Cripes sake…..this sort of media induced hyper mourning hasn’t been seen since Princess Di checked into the Horizontal Hilton.
Mr. Kirk was apparently a decent sort with a beautiful young family. He built TPUSA through hard work and some might say he deserved the 8 figure salary he provided himself, but this messianic re imagining of a “social media influencer” has gone a bit overboard.