Here’s how dissent is supposed to happen:

More than a hundred people line Cedar Crest Boulevard in Salisbury Township, enthusiastically waving handmade signs condemning the president and the local congressman. Passing cars honk or wave their reactions.

Here’s how it shouldn’t happen:

A young man is gunned down as he presents his views to college students — then his death becomes a weapon for further division of our shattered nation.

I’m certain I wasn’t the only one left dispirited by the events of the last couple of weeks, and not just because in MAGA world, I’m among those accused of having blood on my hands for being so critical of Donald Trump. (I have emails to prove it, including a bloody graphic.)

At a time when all of us should be reflecting on the horrors of political violence, we’re instead watching the First Amendment being defaced and some awful ideas being treated as solid gold.

Incitements to revenge against Democrats before police even had a suspect? Waves of people punished for exercising their constitutional rights, under pressure in some cases from our thin-skinned Toddler-in-Chief?

Any death of a young person is a terrible tragedy, and this one even more so because of the very public circumstances, complete with awful videos I’ve tried very hard to avoid. No, nothing Charlie Kirk did or said, about guns or anything else, justifies his murder. As one of my friends concluded in his despair over the angry post-murder back and forth, “What happened is horrible and wrong. That’s it.”

At the same time, before we start erecting Charlie Kirk statues, treating him like a national treasure is neither appropriate nor helpful.

Rather, we should focus on mourning another act of politically motivated violence and what it says about our very wrong direction as a country.

I didn’t like Charlie Kirk’s ideas. So what? He was entitled to tell people what he thinks, as all of us are, as long as it’s not putting people at risk. The one thing I liked about Kirk was the way he allowed attendees at his college events to line up and challenge him to defend his views. That’s the way America should work, a marketplace of ideas where we’re free to choose.

I feel like that’s disintegrating before our eyes — and MAGA world is reacting with glee as journalists, comedians and others are fired, canceled, threatened with lawsuit, even with arrest, for expressing views critical of Kirk.

Worse, we’re seeing more and more media organizations — once bulwarks against attacks on the First Amendment — caving in to White House pressure instead of standing tall.

Certainly we all have to take responsibility for what we say and write. But unless our statements pose or indicate a threat, the government has no role in deciding what is and isn’t acceptable. To suggest otherwise is to embrace fascism.

The division and frustration have grown so great that more and more people are tempted to abandon traditional ways of resolving our political differences in favor of instant, bloody gratification. We’ve seen it here in Pennsylvania, in Washington, in Minnesota, now in Utah, all amid a backdrop of federal troops in the streets of our cities and a relentless stream of school shootings and other numbing acts of gun violence that our political leaders refuse to address except with empty platitudes.

Nothing feels safe.

That’s why I found it oddly comforting, in the wake of Kirk’s murder, to experience the weekly Monday with Mackenzie gathering, where people gather every week at Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s district offices to challenge him to stand up to Trump’s worst excesses instead of meekly acquiescing with the rest of the Republican Lemming Caucus.

Actually, more of the signs targeted Trump than Mackenzie, although the congressman certainly was rendered guilty by association. “Veterans are Not Suckers and Losers.’” “Climate Can’t Wait.” “Hide’n Ryan. Meet With the Voters or Get Voted Out!” “Save Democracy.” On and on.

Trump and Mackenzie also were supported, albeit less resoundingly. The grass in front of Mackenzie’s Cedar Crest office was lined with Trump/Vance and Ryan Mackenzie signs, and one guy in a MAGA hat and another waving a TRUMP 2028 flag made their feelings known.

There was lots of passing traffic, lots of honking, lots of energy. Positive energy, to my mind.

Sure, our anger and division were starkly represented. But they were represented the way it ought to happen — by people who were willing to back up their strong convictions by raising their voices, not their guns.

On Oct. 18, hundreds of thousands of Americans will gather — in the Lehigh Valley and all over the country — for No Kings Day, proclaiming through words, signs, Baby Trump floats and huge numbers that they will not submit quietly to the transformation of our government into a mad monarchy.

You’ll be free to love it. Or hate it. Or ignore it.

Peacefully.

That’s America.

This is a contributed opinion column. Bill White can be reached at whitebil1974@gmail.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.

https://www.mcall.com/2025/09/27/bill-white-charlie-kirk-assassination-freedom-of-speech/