What really drives 'assassination culture'

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In the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, many are asking whether incendiary words are fueling violent deeds. A recent Reuters poll found roughly two in three Americans believe harsh political rhetoric encourages violence. And when U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on a podcast that the Trump administration would target “hate speech,” the backlash from conservatives was swift; she later clarified that any focus must be on true threats of violence, not the nebulous catch-all of “hate speech.”

But is speech the core problem? Jesus taught, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Words reveal what is inside; they do not create it. If the heart is diseased, our discourse will be too.

Our descent into violence did not begin wi