I think it is good to pause and respect the lives of people who have passed, in this case (like Kirk), tragically. I think Rob Reiner was a talented actor and director, but didn’t appreciate his political rhetoric.

I didn’t know much about Kirk when he was assassinated. He had some principled and controversial political views. But unlike Reiner, he encouraged others to engage in civil debate. He challenged others to defend their views and he defended his views.

That is what I think is lacking in our national dialogue. We rush right to the name calling and talk past each other without attempting to understand opposing viewpoints. We cherish freedom of expression yet attempt to limit the expression of opinions we don’t like. We saw way too much of this mindset during the national lockdowns of businesses, schools, and churches.

The solution to free speech we don’t like is MORE free speech, not less.