FLVCS Rejects Violence

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FLVCS Rejects Violence is an editorial by Gene Jones, Florida Veterans for Common Sense President

Yet again in America a gunman assassinated a political figure. Sadly, the violence is not likely to stop. As H. Rap Brown noted years ago, “Violence is as American as apple pie.” Brown’s words are buttressed by a president who responded to the Kirk assassination through a partisan lens. Before a suspect had been captured, Trump blamed the “radical left”. He said, “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals…”

Trump Shamefully Blames His Political Opponents

As is usual for him, Trump blames his political opponents when, in fact, the issue is more complex. Violence originates from all political persuasions, or from no identifiable political persuasion at all. What was the political persuasion of the gunman who tried to assassinate Trump in Pennsylvania? He was a registered Republican who some described as politically conservative. Yet, that information doesn’t tell us his motive.

We Don’t Know The Killer’s Motive

The same circumstance apparently holds for Charle Kirk’s assassin.

The assassin’s grandmother describes the family as all Republicans. The assassin wasn’t registered with either political party. His roommate was allegedly transitioning to be a woman. Some say he became infatuated with leftist ideology. Others believe he may have been involved in an internecine conflict between conservative factions. Utah’s governor reported that the assassin believed, “…Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”

In short, it’s hard to conclude the assassin has any coherent political ideology from the publicly available information.

There’s Too Much Violence in America

What we know is that there is too much violence in America whether it’s characterized as political violence, or otherwise. In 2025, 309 mass shootings have resulted in over 1600 casualties.

As Veterans, We Condemn The Violence

For years, we’ve argued that assault weapons should be regulated.

We also believe that all Americans should strive to end the coarse, violent language often seen on social media. People should disagree without personally attacking those with whom they disagree.

The Assassination Was A Tragedy

The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a despicable tragedy. Yet an irony must be acknowledged.

Charlie Kirk Was A Purveyor of Hate

He was a purveyor of hate who stirred up the grievances that may have resulted in his death.  He notoriously attacked minority groups. For example, he described immigrants as invaders, LGBTQ+ people as predators, and homeless people as moral failures. He sought to turn back the clock on civil rights.

Stand Tall For Free Speech

Few, if any, of our veteran members would have agreed with Kirk on most issues although one American value is held in common. As Kirk believed, we agree that all Americans should stand tall for freedom of speech. To paraphrase Voltaire, we disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.

With that in mind, Charlie Kirk promoted many unpatriotic and anti-american ideas, which are an anathema to us. Knowing that, it’s our obligation to speak up and work hard to rebut his backward ideas so they can be tossed into the dustbin of history where they belong.

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