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By Richard Helppie, The Common Bridge
September 12, 2025.
Political violence has again sought the upper hand over political conversation. The graphic horror of a gunshot wound was delivered to countless televisions, computer screens, tablets and mobile devices.
The broad revulsion to this senseless act of terror and the devastation shown in a violent end to a human life means we have not yet totally lost our humanity. The gleeful celebrants on the fringe have exposed their lack of basic compassion. The distaste for such reaction is causing some to be fired from their jobs.
Meanwhile, the rest of us need to have a conversation before we are completely lost in a civil war. Conversation would be a great reaction, and one that every one of us can engage in right now. Why carry the talking points of the politicians who have failed to address the issues of the day? Why repeat the slogans that the established media and the crazy bots put out to enrage people? We don’t live like that in real life.
REACTIONS
One reaction, easily discovered by scrolling social media, is a belief that the rifle used to brutally kill Charlie Kirk self-levitated to a rooftop in Utah. From that perch, it took careful aim and murdered the father of two young children from 200 yards away. Very similar to the suspicious actions of a 9-millimeter Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol that shot Gabby Gifford and many who had come peacefully to see her speak.
The 30-06 caliber, bolt action Mauser that fired the fatal shot was quickly located not far from the Utah Valley University where the crime occurred, wrapped in a towel. Despite locating the culprit, replete with hate inscriptions on bullet casings, law enforcement wanted to keep searching to find a human being.
Gratefully, the reaction of people committed to providing excellent government services swiftly and effectively responded. It wasn’t long – 33 hours – for the full weight of Federal, State and local law enforcement to locate and arrest the man human-shaped piece of garbage who accompanied the rifle to the rooftop. The effort by law enforcement was broadly supported by media outlets and a public who produced 11,000 tips.
Central to the arrest was the noble reaction of the perpetrator’s father. It is unknown at this time if the father was motivated by legal concerns, ethical beliefs or perhaps fears for the safety of himself or others. What we can all surmise is that the man’s grief was no barrier to fulfilling his duty as a father.
THE HORROR OF A GUNSHOT WOUND
Regrettably, anyone with access to the internet could see firsthand what actually happens when a bullet strikes a human being. Not since the assassination of JFK has the reality of this violence been brought home to so many.
The shock of this reality is in sharp contrast to the way violence is portrayed in popular entertainment. Scripts where a fatal bullet dispatches a character are ubiquitous. The recipient falls quickly and with no aftermath the story moves on. Some data declare that gun content appears in the majority of television drama episodes – as high as 62%. One in three episodes has at least one character discharging a firearm. And we’ve all seen the hail of bullets that can’t seem to touch the program’s hero.
There is big money in gun violence. The global market for First-Person Shooter games is over $230,000,000,000. Do we stand by and wonder what the intersection of dehumanizing political speech and first-person shooter games will look like if this trend continues?
With popular television and modern gaming telling billions that the answer to difficult situations is gun violence, is it any wonder that some people murder to express their frustration with viewpoints they don’t like? At the same time, there are plenty of people who make good livings producing television and games that don’t rely on this base abandonment of humanity. That is evidence that destruction of human life isn’t required in a script but maybe it takes more creativity and effort.
AFTERMATH BEGINS
Meanwhile, some who rushed to social media to celebrate this callous murder have been terminated from their jobs. I am curious if they feel victimized or perhaps remorseful? What might they be pondering on how to handle their situation during their next job interview?
Others, shocked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, attend vigils. The mourning is not defeat, and there appears to be zero threat of rioting as a reaction to this injustice.
The wheels of justice will turn. In general, I am anti-death penalty because of queasiness about the state determining life and death, the uneven application and that mistakes cannot be corrected. However, I admit there are times, like a Bundy or Gacy, where the death penalty feels like justice and brings relief.
Utah state law allows for capital punishment, including the use of firing squads under certain circumstances. I will leave it to the people in responsible government positions to weigh this.
Finally, in the aftermath, the widow’s grief will have no end. The children traumatized by witnessing their father’s killing will forever be scarred. Family and friends will know only emptiness where their loved one once stood. The pain is permanent.
The only remaining question for the aftermath is whether we can have conversations or keep on this death spiral.
My friends, we can’t solve problems if conversation stops.
Onward. With a heavy heart, but Onward.
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