No Double Standards In Grieving For Charlie Kirk

The Mercury’s September 17 editorial assertion that double standards prevail in Western countries because the outcry against Charlie Kirk’s murder is not matched by one against atrocities in Gaza is a mistaken conflation of two very different issues.

The Middle East is a cauldron of controversy, inflamed by atrocities on both sides. Charlie Kirk’s life and legacy amount to everything the Middle East does not reflect. That is the distinction that needs to be recognized, which is why, despite ungodly propaganda, millions worldwide are grieving at his death.

It is reflective of the fallen nature of this world that Charlie Kirk is branded as ‘controversial’ for striving to heal, teach and minister moral precepts of decency, forgiveness, love, compassion and truth.

Charlie Kirk sought to uplift and improve lives by emphasizing the timeless principles of righteousness found in the Bible. He did not harbour grievances towards those who mocked and verbally assailed him. He cherished and exemplified the right of free speech despite the barrage of abuse and opposition. He saw the good in humanity and sought to help the fallen from the error of their ways and thinking. He strove to mend and inspire relations, not to divide them.

Abraham Lincoln’s words in his second Inaugural Address aptly sum up Charlie Kirk’s pursuit of life: ‘With malice towards none and with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right…’

Consequently, the claim that outrage over Kirk’s murder constitutes double standards is grossly mistaken because the underlying issues between his life and Gaza are poles apart.