Let’s be honest about Charlie Kirk’s life — and death

US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk (R) speaks on stage with President Donald Trump at America Fest 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 22, 2024. | Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images In the days since the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, the overwhelming response on the left has been shock and horror. No one of prominence has justified the killing; hundreds, from Democratic Party leadership on down, have condemned political violence. But below the unanimity is a subtler debate: not about how to respond to Kirk’s death, but how to think about his life. On the one hand are