The Wednesday killing of political activist Charlie Kirk has sparked a variety of reactions. Most appropriate. Some not.
Panthers P.R. employee Charlie Rock fell into the latter category. He has now landed in the ranks of the unemployed.
Via Joseph Person of TheAthletic.com, the Panthers have fired Rock.
Rock posted a video with a caption on his personal Instagram feed after Kirk was murdered. Said the team, on its official Twitter account: “The views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers. We do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual.”
Let’s reiterate that point. “We do not condone violence of any kind.”
That should be a universal, undisputed view. In a civil society, we have disagreements. Those disagreements, however sharp and strong they might be, should never devolve into violence.
There is no room in the American experiment for political violence. For any type of violence. Violence should be condemned in all forms, by everyone.
The inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness begins with “life.” We all have a right to live our lives as we see fit, within the confines of all relevant state, federal, and local laws. We all have the right to not have someone else end our lives.
We are all Americans. The sooner we remember that and act accordingly, the sooner the American experiment can get back on the right track.
