A Watershed Moment
The Baby Boomer must admit he was shocked but not surprised at the assassination of Charlie Kirk this past Wednesday as our American society, as I once knew it, is virtually non-existent. I must’ve had “my head in the sand”, you know, living in seclusion at The Compound, but I wasn’t at all familiar with Charlie Kirk and his huge following until he was mercilessly openly murdered before the entire world in yet another unbelievably senseless and ruthless violent event.
The governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, called the assassination a “watershed moment” for America. As defined, a “watershed moment” is a crucial turning point or significant event that marks a dramatic change or shift in separating what comes before from what comes after. Looking back over my lifetime, I’m not so sure I would term this horrific event as a “watershed moment” as we witness, almost daily, some terrible act of violence with innocent lives are being lost, especially, in our schools.
Upon reflection, I suppose I’ve come to conclude that the turbulent 1960’s created three “watershed moments” with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy which all could be attributed to the Civil Rights Movement. There, in my humble opinion, have been two other “watershed moments” with the first being 9/11 in 2001 and the second coming during the Coronavirus Pandemic beginning in 2020 both having a tremendous impact on the change in direction of our American society.
What I can’t seem to comprehend, let alone, understand is the extreme anger and hatred in our society today. Emotions are so high today that the ability to have any civil discourse is completely non-existent. And then there’s the violence which occurs when the anger and hatred become uncontrollable due to the extremism. Another incomprehensible result in regard to the Charlie Kirk assassination is all the comments saying how pleased they are that he was murdered. Really, are you kidding me, what in the world is going on! Hey, I believe in our First Amendment right to freedom of speech. But I don’t agree that if you disagree with my right to freedom of speech, you then have the right to take my life. Folks, I also agree with the right to bear arms as enshrined in the Second Amendment. I’m sick and tired of those who say guns kill people and we don’t have the right to bear arms. Guns DO NOT kill people, PEOPLE kill people. Believe me when I tell you if there were no guns, PEOPLE would still kill people.
Yes, I blame social media for much of the chaos we’re being forced to live with. I’ve only been on Facebook since my total retirement two years ago and thought it might be a good way to keep in touch with folks–in a positive way. However, too many, and I mean far too many, use Facebook to express their extreme point of views in very emotional terms becoming angry and demonstrating hatred to those who don’t agree with them whether it be from the Left or the Right. Whatever happened to the “middle of the road” approach? Facebook’s purpose has evolved over time into the global social networking phenomenon it is today aiming to connect people in a positive way and bring the world closer together.
It’s gotten so bad on Facebook that I seldom use it anymore. In fact, many of my so-called Facebook friends have become so extremely political and defiantly so that I’ve removed them from my list of friends. Yes, I believe you have a right to voice your opinion and have the right to freedom of speech, but Facebook is not the forum. In fact, too many of you have gone so far to the extreme in your beliefs that you actually believe what you say is “righteous”. Please believe the Baby Boomer when he tells you that you ain’t right or “righteous”!
Unless we truly have a “watershed moment”, I fear for those running for political office in the upcoming midterm elections in 2026 where we could witness so many acts of violence. It won’t be pretty and who knows what it could become–I shudder just thinking about it!
A true “watershed moment” would be for us to, again, discover our old American society, do away with the extremism, anger, and hatred, be able to have civil discourse and “agree to amicably disagree”, think more of “we” rather than “me”, and come together believing it’s “one for all, all for one” as a motto of solidarity and unity!