The assassination of Charlie Kirk threatens to embolden the far right and provide Donald Trump with a pretext for crushing dissent. Escalating political violence corrodes democratic norms and poses a unique threat to the Left.

Charlie Kirk has never received a warm welcome in the pages of this magazine. It doesn’t matter now. The assassination of Kirk is a tragedy. Morally, it is unjustifiable. Politically, it is cause for serious alarm. A larger spiral into political violence would be a catastrophe for the Left.

As of the time of this writing, no one knows the shooter’s ideology or motivations. But some key points are clear enough.

No one should be killed as punishment for political expression, no matter how objectionable. In addition to our basic abhorrence of violence, we are also pr

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