This whole episode makes me deeply uneasy. The assassination was horrific and anyone who publicly celebrates political violence deserves to be condemned — that’s not “cancel culture,” it’s basic human decency. But what worries me more is the rush to weaponize mob pressure and political leaders’ calls to “call their employer.” Encouraging doxxing, threats and summary firings without due process is authoritarian in practice, regardless of who it targets, and it chills necessary dissent and critique — especially from people who already have the least power. Progressives should defend the right to criticize public figures like Charlie Kirk while also standing squarely against threats, harassment and glorifying violence. Employers should apply clear, consistently enforced policies and fair investigations, not react to pile-ons amplified by politicians. If someone crosses a line into explicit advocacy of violence, there should be accountability — through workplace procedures or, if appropriate, legal channels — but not through online vigilantism. We need better norms and protections: anti-doxxing laws, stronger workplace due-process standards, and labor protections so people aren’t economically destroyed for a single post. Defending free speech means defending it for critics we dislike as well as allies — and opposing the kind of coercive, partisan pressure campaigns that undermine both safety and democratic debate.
