An Unnecessary Death, and the Unnecessary Initial Blame

     The picturesque town of Scottsdale, Arizona become the scene of tragedy on a quiet morning in September.  The tragedy in question, of course, was the unnecessary and senseless assassination of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk.  Immediately, Republican voters started directing blame on the trans community.  Yes, it turns out that the "alleged" shooter, Tyler Robinson, had a trans roommate, whom some say was his "partner".  The roommate has been cleared by the FBI of any involvement in the act of the crime.  Still, many want to irresponsibly implicate an entire community of people on the actions of a few in the past.  As I said, this is irresponsible, and it is dangerous.

    Let's be clear on this matter:  Implicating the entire trans community on the basis of a trans "partner" is both intellectually dishonest and morally corrosive.

    FBI reports and press briefings made it clear that Robinson was living with a trans woman, but that she is cooperating with the authorities.  That cooperation has helped investigators collect Discord logs and text messages that helped track Robinson's movements and motives.  Robinson has been described as being deeply indoctrinated with radical Left ideology.  (As opposed to radical Right ideology.)

    Speaking from past experience, I know that it's easy at times like this to make sweeping generalizations.  We must resist the temptation to do so.

    To confuse one's ideology or relationships with an entire identity group is lazy, and it's dangerous.  It fuels the very kind of fear and misinformation that leads to false assumptions, hate, and even hate crimes.

    What needs to happen is that this tragedy should spark conversations about political violence, online radicalization, and mental health.  It should NOT lead to conversation about gender identity.  It should have us asking hard questions about how ideology becomes weaponized, and how we can prevent future acts of violence without vilifying entire communities.

    If you believe in truth and justice, this is your time to speak up.  Not just for the Kirk family, but for every trans person who wakes up every day wondering if today is the day they get the blame for someone else's rage, hate and anger.

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