Political rhetoric is a powerful force. In democracies, it can propel someone to power or topple them out of it; it can even threaten democracy when wielded with precision and intention. It can justify discrimination and war. Most of all, coupled with enough passion, it can discourage healthy debate and defeat logic and reason.

On September 10, US right-wing political activist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated . The motivation of the alleged assassin, a 22-year-old man from Utah, Tyler Robinson, is still unknown. Eleven days after Kirk’s killing, on September 21, a memorial held in Arizona was attended by President Donald Trump , Vice President J D Vance, and other Republican and right-wing figures, and almost 1,00,000 people.

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