Canceled

In the last couple of days, we have all seen stories of people being canceled…losing jobs, being kicked out of organizations…for celebrating the murder of Charlie Kirk. Here in the Cincinnati area, the biggest firestorm has been around what I would characterize as a semi-public person, and the restaurant they are (were) co-owner in. I’ll link a local news story, but I’m not going to name him here. (News story HERE)

At one point, this person and I were friends We worked together at a local radio station for a few years, and we always got along. I can’t recall a time during that period when we ever discussed politics. What we talked about most in that environment was music. That’s what the station was all about, and regardless of political affiliation, everyone there had a common love of music.

He eventually rose to the position of general manager, but I eventually had to give it up. I was part-time, and when the station program grid changed and conflicted with my full-time job, I had to give it up. I haven’t seen him since then…it’s probably been 20 years, but I always considered him a friend. I’ll never forget the day that the he signed the radio station off the air for the final time, after it was bought out by another company. Before playing the last song ever to be played on that station, he went through a list of names of people he had worked with over the years, and my name was one of them. Then he played, “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody),” by Talking Heads. I called his office phone to thank him, but got his voice mail. With a lump in my throat, I left a message thanking him for including me in those final moments. It had been a very special little radio station, and it truly meant the world to me.

But now, he is a local center of a national controversy…which, I will emphasize, shouldn’t be controversial at all. Like so many others, he posted comments on social media celebrating murder. He did it. I saw it. And I was, like any decent human being should be, repulsed by it. After some reflection, I clicked the “unfriend” button. Some hours later, on another social media site, I saw where others in our local area had seen his comments and run with it. Soon, it was viral, and the consequences of his words began to land. If you read the linked news story, it is obvious that at least a significant part of his livelihood has been taken away. I hate that for him.

Today’s cancel culture makes me uneasy. Still, I understand and agree that while we do have freedom of speech in this country, businesses and other organizations do have the right to choose not to associate with people who do not share their values. As such, I understand and reluctantly agree with those who have cut ties with my former friend. What he said was vile, and I don’t want to be associated with that, either.

Still, it makes me sad. The guy I knew was not like this; it almost feels like the person I knew has died. I will reiterate that what he said was contemptible, and it is hard to reconcile those words with that person. While It had become clear from his social media through the years that he was about as politically opposite from me as is possible, I still considered him a friend. With the exception of one exchange a few years ago, I would simply scroll past. (He had commented on a post I made about gun control, and I simply replied, “You’re my friend, and I love you, and I don’t want to fight with you on this. I will if you want, but please stop.” He did, and that was the end of it.)

But he couldn’t just scroll past, not this time. He celebrated the murder of a fellow human being. I have wondered since then…given my politics, would he celebrate my death? Wish for it? I am a Christian and a conservative, and I agree with much of what Charlie Kirk said and believed. I’ll tell you this…I do not wish that for him, and I mourn the “death” of the good man I once knew. I take no joy in the consequences he has felt from those words he typed, even though he deserves it all. It is my fervent hope that he regrets what he said. Not because of the consequences, but in realization that it was wrong. For my part, I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with him over a cup of coffee, in peace, and have a civil conversation. Debate politics, agree to disagree…maybe even talk about music. It’s what Charlie would have done.