Art of the Debate

 A lot of tributes have been pouring in for Ch arlie Kirk the last few days, as well as some harsh words for his tactics. The Turning Point USA founder was gunned down last week right before he hosted one of his events hosted on a college campus in  Colorado. The tragic death marked the latest in a series of horrific political violence events that has scarred our nation for far too long. We have been warned to tone down the heated rhetoric. T hat words that travel the speed of the Internet seem to have twice the impact usually in a negative way which pushes people away from your point of view instead of pulling them closer. The impact can be so  great it can cause people to want to silence their opponents, sometimes in the most extreme ways! We have seen it play out in schools, theaters, political e vents and other gatherings. We all want it to stop, however we are unwillingly to do the work. We as a society have lost respect for opposing views. The people that don't like where you stand aren't worthy to voice their own options. The first reaction is to silence rather than give those views a platform. 

People who try to silence their opposition really aren't secure in their own views. They might hold strong thoughts on a subject, but how strong are they if those opinions  can't be defended in a constructive manner? People need to realize having their views challenged makes them stronger. They need to  see other views not to adopt them, but to see how their views hold up. Points may be introduced they m ight use to make  their opinions stronger. Not listening to different points ofd view makes people lazy. They feel just because they hold those views, that's the end of the story.

Charlie Kirk wasn't a good debater because he held strong views, he was just someone having a discussion. Kirk was strong because he had the unique  combination of being secure in his views and understanding the opposing side thoroughly. That gave him the ability to outline the flaws in his opponent's logic while respecting the fact they were willing to deba te him. Kirk didn't need to put people down to prove his point. Som ething that is lacking in today's debate forums, especially among young people.

People who treasure the freedom of speech and expression should be weeping over Charlie Kirk's assassination, no matter what their view. Every time he took the stage Kirk  symbolized one of the greatest gifts our country has to offer, the gift t o express oneself. The next time you find yourself in a debat, no matter what the subject, think about Charlie Kirk and think of how he would get his point across./