Ink being still wet, and stomachs remaining slightly turned, it strikes fairly coincidental that the alleged suspect’s politic in the recent Charlie Kirk assassination is being categorized as “far left.” As there is no room in today’s civilized society for moderation, taking the position of “left” and “right” is to be ofttimes placed by the other camp’s public relations team into the realm of radical extremism.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
The simple answer is, no one really knows. Myself, I regret to say that my only familiarity with this individual was via the means of online information. Place me within the left-leaning algorithms, and Charlie was a racist, transphobic, capitalist. Contrarily, move me over to the other side, and I’ll be told by that branch of media on high that he was a “hero,” “patriot” and a portrait of modern America.
Though perhaps not at the heart of the matter, a masquerading parade of victimhood and entitlement seem to be intertwined with the danger of those with opposing viewpoints. Social media has achieved more than its creators could have ever imagined as the pride of individualism is poised to play that last game of chicken … though humorous to those of us with a cynical disposition, this game is played upon itself.
One of the more recurring conversations I’ve had in the past five years has been on the topic of transgenderism and sexual identity. Searching my brain for a reason why, it appears that a person’s right to be (or to change) the basic components of their reproductive system has bullied its way into the center stage of American discourse. As the face mask and COVID-19 vaccine of yesteryear, we common folk are not only being bombarded with a commentary which may be best left in a doctor’s or psychiatrist’s office, we are being held and measured by the demons of “Right” and “Wrong” depending on our particular stance on the issue.
“We’re never going back!” Back to what…that’s what I would like to know. As the digitalized images shooting in our directions evolve from promiscuously atypical to terrifyingly violent, it strikes one curious as to what is around the corner. Perhaps the elucidation of sentiment has grown into what is has become as a result of our ability to measure it by increments. Wait, you have a trans-related opinion that is more agnostic? You must be suffering from transphobia. Hold on a second, you are questioning Trump’s foreign policy? You must be a left-extremist and probably part of Antifa.
Though not volunteering for the post, veterans of Dungeons and Dragons are quite possibly the best equipped to help navigate our society through the weeds of pointed-finger partiality. Can everything be down to a simple roll of the dice? Perhaps, though more to the point is the ability for rogues and vagabonds to survive by simply blending in and remaining silent. In the Duchy of Trans, it would serve the hero best to wear colorful clothing, speak out against those who aren’t partisan to the cause, and more importantly keep any inquiries to themselves. Likewise, in the Kingdom of MAGA, the player’s handbook advises upstarts to educate themselves both on the Gestapo, and of how Nazi Germany casually shifted its targets from a set of “agreed upon bad guys” to entire communities of innocent bystanders.
What a year this is set to be! Echoes of Russia and China not being happy with Europa, Trump continuing his crusade against anyone in opposition … it’s like Game of Thrones meets West Wing meets too much time spent scrolling one’s media feed.
Would Charlie have wanted his life to be used for the purposes of political justification? Again, this is something we may never know. If he ran with the Trump crew, my first guess is he had monetary resources. That may be harsh, but in my experience in trying to be a Republican in recent years, I’ve found that those at the top of the party tend to find broke, debt-ridden people like myself to be sub-human. Alternatively, there’s been no place in the Democratic Party for me in years since they’ve developed the norms of championing the weakest and never, ever, questioning the scientists.
Will ICE come to town? If they do, the only remedy I have seen has been to record and post a video online, message others in a “secret” group chat, and possibly even submit a piece to the local newspaper. ‘Tis a shame when typed words won’t hold back tyranny.
Ahmad Esfahani lives in Greenfield.