Opinion | The ‘Fork in the Road’ After Charlie Kirk’s Death

I took the occasion this morning to read the Times obituary for Father Coughlin. And so I just pulled it up on Times Machine, which New York Times subscribers have access to. So Father Coughlin, of course, Charles Coughlin, was a famed radio demagogue of the 1930s. Viciously antisemitic and bigoted in many ways, and had a huge following through the 1930s. And it was interesting to read the obituary, which both recognized his influence and importance but didn’t shy away from the reality of the man. And this is how I feel about Kirk. We can recognize his influence, but we shouldn’t shy away from the reality of the man. As for political violence, I find myself wanting to remind people that the United States has a long history of endemic political violence. And although we do seem to be approaching the return of higher levels of political violence, it’s kind of important for us not to indulge the fantasy that this is somehow foreign to our experience. It’s very much part of the American experience.