Blathering Bfth

So it seems like my social media pages have been filled with all sorts of crazy stuff lately.  (Or more so than usual.) I try not to read political stuff (aka BS) because I'd rather just look at cute animal videos. (I'm partial to otters holding hands). It seems to me that in 2025 there is too much angry rhetoric and I just don't want to deal with that. Maybe that's right; maybe that's wrong. But I try to avoid the angry crap and focus on the good stuff. You know the stories about people who are kind, people who are doing their best to make the world a better place. That's what I want to read about. However, that's not what I've been seeing on my social media. So I thought I'd share some thoughts here.  Thoughts that are mine and don't count for much because who am I? I'm just this older lady who doesn't know much and I fully admit it.

So, to me it seems that all the news is talking about the death of Charles Kirk. Before the news of his assassination came out, I didn't even know who he was. It appears to me based on what I researched (and you can correct me if I'm wrong), he was a man who said things that I very much disagree with. If I had ever met him, I don't think I would like him. However, that doesn't mean that I am not distressed and upset that he was assassinated. He was a young man and he should be around living life with his wife and children. That was taken away from him. And that is very wrong. I condemn what was done.

Although I have not said it before or written about it, I also condemn the shootings of all people, such as the Minnesota senator and her husband (Melissa and Mark Hortman) who were assassinated in their home, the children who were praying at Annunciation Catholic school, the police officers who were ambushed and killed in York, Pennsylvania (Cody Becker, Mark Baker and Isaiah Emerheiser). That's just three. You know there are many, many more. Each is devastating. None holds more weight than the other. Each and every one of them was a human being who deserved more.  It doesn't matter how old they were, what color their skin was, what their social status was, etc.  Whenever a human being is murdered, it is wrong and it is worthy of our condemnation and sorrow.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, late show host Jimmy Kimmel said something that apparently upset a bunch of people. I've looked at what he said and I've listened to what he said. I don't think it was hate speech. I don't even think it had much to do with the victim. Nonetheless I can (sort of) understand why people would be upset. However, it was my understanding that under the first amendment in the Constitution, we have the right just free speech. Mr. Kimmel had the right to say what he did on his television show without fear of retribution from the FCC. 

What disturbs me is that it seems like we are becoming a country where if someone says something we don't like, we can threaten and silence. That would be taking away first amendment rights.  And if someone is coming after the first amendment rights then you know there are other rights that they are going to come after. If first is first that it makes logical sense that the next thing that "political leaders" will come after is the second amendment. After all two comes after one. Get rid of one and then you can get rid of two. Then you can move on to three, four, and you get the idea. So if you're not upset about the abolishment of first amendment rights, you should be cautious because who knows when they will come after your second amendment rights (that would be your right to bear arms, if you didn't know). Just to be clear I'm not talking about one specific party, I'm talking about leaders taking away our human rights one by one. That is not acceptable. It's not American.

It is also my understanding that there was an intention upon removing Mr. Kimmel and his show that in its place on Friday would be a so that was a tribute to Mr. Kirk. I feel that that would have been very disrespectful. Surely someone who was gunned down deserves something better than a late night show. For those who feel that Mr. Kirk deserves a documentary and or tribute, airing it in the middle of the night seems very rushed and not at all respectful. If the powers that be want to pay tribute to Mr. Kirk, then they should do so at a time where majority of people can watch. 11:30 at night is not the ideal time. Now this tribute did not happen on Friday night, perhaps the powers that be realized how disrespectful this might be.

I would think that perhaps the best time to air a tribute to a man who considered himself a "Christian" would be on the Lord's Day, Sunday.   And from what I understand that is what IS going to happen.  However, I feel the timing is again not ideal.  11 AM is when most people would still be in church in Arizona. Perhaps later in the day on Sunday would be more respectful. Just after noon (west coast time, which would put it around 4 PM eastern) when most people are home.  Or even better, early Sunday evening?  Yes I realize that some previously scheduled shows and events might need to be preempted, but what could be more important? 

This also makes me think that if we are doing a tribute to one human being who was gunned down, shouldn't we be doing tributes to all those who have been needlessly killed? Why are we not doing tributes to them all?  I realize it would take a lot of time, but surely each human being senselessly murdered is worthy of their own memorial?  Maybe we could have a new channel dedicated just to memorials and tributes to those who have been killed?  Maybe it wouldn't even have to be just those who were killed by guns, but by bombs, stabbings...Would 24 hours a day be enough for all that on just one channel.  Maybe we would need more.

Or maybe we need another solution.  Maybe we need to work together to come up with one.  Because America should be the land of the free, and not the frightened.  America should be a great country where violence is not the norm.  

But that's just Bfth blathering.