A Few Thoughts…

I have so much to say. 

I can’t sleep, so I decided to take some time to organize my thoughts. You obviously don’t have to read my thoughts. We are blessed to live in a free country. You can just keep scrolling… However, should you attempt to read this full post, you should know that it will be a very long post.

Simply put, my thoughts could be succinctly organized into the following five statements:

THE POLITICAL LEFT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PARTY OF VIOLENCE.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS WE ARE FACING TODAY.

WE ARE NOT BETTER PEOPLE AS A RESULT OF ALL WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD.

THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF WE LISTENED WELL, SPOKE RESPECTFULLY, AND PRAYED MORE.

JESUS ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE KING. 

If you want to know more about my thoughts on each of these statements, I will elaborate below:

First, THE POLITICAL LEFT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PARTY OF VIOLENCE. This is not to say that ALL people on the Political Left are violent, nor that violence is always from the Political Left, but the fact is that the Political Left has always been the party of violence. It started that way, and it has continued that way. 

The “Political Left” is a phrase that began in the late 1700s in France. In the National Assembly, politicians were seated based on their political views. Those who supported radical change—opposing the monarchy and aristocracy—sat on the left side of the assembly hall. Their counterparts, those who favored the monarchy, tradition, and more moderate reforms, sat on the right. While the Political Right attempted to resolve conflict with dialogue and debate, the radical Left-wing revolutionaries stormed the Bastille prison, arming violent mobs and performing public executions. This violent act ultimately led to what is known as the “Reign of Terror”, in which the radical Left performed mass executions via the guillotine—resulting in approximately 17,000 executions and up to 40,000 total deaths. In 1792, Left-wing mobs also massacred over 1,000 prisoners, including priests and aristocrats in Paris in what become known as the “September Massacres”.

Keep in mind, this is the origin story of the political Left. The Political Left started with violence, and it continued with violence. 

The modern American Political Left is represented by the Democrat Party, which was founded in 1828 by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States. Though his image and likeness is printed on the U.S. $20 bill, he was not a good guy. His legacy is deeply intertwined with violence, driven by his roles in warfare and Indian removal policies. As president, Jackson championed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forcibly displaced Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territories west of the Mississippi. This policy led to the Trail of Tears, particularly affecting the Cherokee, with thousands dying from disease, starvation, and exposure during forced marches. Estimates suggest 4,000–8,000 Cherokees perished during this campaign. Jackson’s aggressive enforcement of removal, rooted in his belief in white settler expansion, directly tied him to this state-sanctioned violence. But this was nothing new for Andrew Jackson. Before his presidency, he was a military commander known for brutal campaigns against Native tribes. As a major general, Jackson led U.S. forces against the Red Stick Creek faction in Alabama, culminating in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814), where over 800 Creek warriors were killed. His campaigns often involved scorched-earth tactics, devastating Native communities. In 1817-1818 Jackson invaded Spanish Florida in what is known as the First Seminole War. During this time he attacked Seminole and Creek tribes and seizing territory. His actions, including the execution of two British subjects, sparked international controversy.

In his personal life, Jackson was known for his volatile temper and participation in duels, a common practice among Southern elites. In 1806, he killed Charles Dickinson in a duel over a personal dispute. His reputation as a fighter bolstered his image but tied him to a culture of personal violence.

Jackson’s populist rhetoric and anti-elite stance fueled a polarized political climate. His supporters, part of the emerging Democratic Party, occasionally engaged in violent acts, such as riots during the 1828 election campaign.

Again, this is the founder of the modern American Political Left. His successor, Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States (and second Democrat POTUS) was not much better. As President, Van Buren continued Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act policies. His continued push for Democratic politics also involved pushing for pro-slavery interests to maintain political support from Southern Democrats. The most notable example being his handling of the Amistad case. 

A few short decades later, at the 1860 Democratic National Convention, Southern Democrats demanded a platform protecting slavery in the territories. When this was rejected, many Southerners left the National Convention and nominated their own candidate, John C. Breckinridge (a Southern Democrat and incumbent vice president). Northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglas. This split weakened the party, allowing Abraham Lincoln, the Republican (Right-leaning) candidate, to win the 1860 Presidential election with a plurality of votes. Lincoln’s victory, seen as a threat to slavery due to Republican opposition to its expansion, prompted seven Southern states (led by Democratic politicians) to secede between December 1860 and February 1861, forming the Confederate States of America. Four more states joined after the American Civil War began at Fort Sumter in April 1861.

The Confederate Army was primarily composed of individuals aligned with the Democratic Party, the party of violence. The Confederate States of American essentially initiated the American Civil War by seceding from the United States of America. Rather than admitting a democratic election defeat, they declared war. The American Civil War (1861–1865) resulted in an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 deaths,

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., by John Wilkes Booth. He died the following morning, April 15, 1865, from a gunshot wound to the head. John Wilkes Booth had political sympathies that aligned closely with the Southern Democratic and Confederate cause. In short, he was another violent member of the Political Left. 

Shortly after the end of the American Civil War, the Klu Klux Klan was formed. It was founded by a group of ex-Confederate soldiers, including Nathan Bedford Forrest, who became its first Grand Wizard. The exact date of the KKKs formation is unclear, but historical records, such as those from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Eric Foner’s Reconstruction, pinpoint its establishment in the winter of 1865–1866 as a social club that quickly turned into a violent, Left-leaning white supremacist organization aimed at intimidating freed Black citizens and opposing Reconstruction policies.

Just a few decades later, Republican President William McKinley was assassinated on September 6, 1901, at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, by Leon Czolgosz. McKinley was shot twice in the abdomen and died eight days later on September 14, 1901, from complications related to his wounds. Leon Czolgosz was a self-identified Leftist, specifically an anarchist with socialist leanings. His motivations and ideological background have been well-documented.

John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963. Oswald’s political leanings are complex and debated, but evidence suggests he identified with Leftist ideologies, particularly Marxism and communism. 

The Political Left always has been the party of violence. More recently we watched the George Floyd riots throughout the summer of 2020, which spanned over 140 U.S. cities, causing $1–2 billion in property damage from arson, vandalism, and looting, and resulting in an estimated 19–25 deaths.

The American Political Left has also proudly declared themselves to be the party of abortion, which has violently ended the lives of an estimated 40-50 million unborn babies. 

Leading up to the 2024 Presidential election, the Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump, miraculously survived two separate assassination attempts. Sadly, a 50-year-old husband and father, Corey Comperatore, was killed in Butler, PA by a stray bullet that was intended to end the life of the Republican candidate. 

The Political Left has always been the party of violence, and on September 10, 2025, an outspoken Christian, conservative Republican, husband, and father of two young children, Charlie Kirk, was murdered in an obviously politically motivated assassination.

No matter what you think of Charlie Kirk, his approach, or his message, POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS WE ARE FACING TODAY. 

I couldn’t believe it (or maybe I just didn’t want to believe it) when I saw people actively cheering the assassination of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, on December 4, 2024, in New York City. How could anyone cheer for this? The assassin is a coward who performed a truly despicable and evil act—regardless of how you feel about the current state of healthcare. 

I could’t believe it (or maybe I just didn’t want to believe it) when I saw people actively cheering the senseless and unprovoked slaughter of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was killed on a Charlotte, NC light rail train on August 22, 2025. People actually came to the defense of the murderer. How?! And why did no one intervene or come to her rescue until it was too late? And how could the mainstream (Left-leaning) media make excuses for the murderer?

And today, I couldn’t believe it (or maybe I just didn’t want to believe it) when I saw people actively cheering the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This is truly vile, despicable, demonic behavior. 

Charlie Kirk lived a life that put an emphasis on talking through your disagreements. He actively engaged in respectful, thoughtful dialog with people who had different opinions. And the world was better for it. And he was killed for it.

There are answers to the questions that we are facing today, but they may not be the answers you want to hear. Just because someone offers an answer that you don’t want to hear, it doesn’t give you the right to kill them. Political violence is NOT the answer to the questions we are facing today. Only a coward would kill a person because they didn’t like what the person said. And only a demon-possessed person would cheer that murder on.

When we look at Jesus, do we see any example of Him cheering on the death of His enemies? No. Of course not. 

Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

In the Old Testament, David was continually hunted down by King Saul. Saul was jealous of David and wanted to kill him. David had opportunities to kill Saul, but he never took those opportunities. When Saul was killed in battle by an enemy army, David did not rejoice at his death. Rather, he and his men tore their clothes, wept, and fasted out of grief for Saul. (2 Samuel 1)

We would probably know that more, understand that reaction more, and emulate that reaction more, if we spent more time reading the Bible and looking to the word of God for direction. Instead, we waste our lives online, and get pulled into the counterfeit world of the metaverse instead of looking to the God of the universe. And the truth is that WE ARE NOT BETTER PEOPLE AS A RESULT OF ALL WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD.

This week I personally watched the murder of Iryna Zarutska at least a half dozen times. I didn’t really even want to. It was placed in front of my eyes several times. I never once watched it intently, but I have seen it so many times now (even out of the corner of my eyes) that I see it vividly even when I close my eyes. Today I watched the murder of Charlie Kirk at least as many times. 

Why? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we do this to one another? We are NOT better people as a result of all we have seen and heard.

Like the hypothetical frog in the pot, the water we live in is boiling, and we don’t even notice it. 

Our souls are not made better by all we have seen and heard.

Our minds are not made better by all that we have seen and heard.

Our relationships are not made better by all that we have seen and heard. 

Wake up! We are in a boiling pot, and we are dying inside of it! We need to jump out and save ourselves. We need to pull others out in hopes of saving them. We need to turn our eyes away from the absolute filth and trash that this world is endlessly offering us—especially this virtual, counterfeit world of social media—and we desperately need to look to Jesus! 

Our lives would be better if we spent even HALF as much time in the Bible and in prayer as we spend online.

THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF WE LISTENED WELL, SPOKE RESPECTFULLY, AND PRAYED MORE. I believe that Charlie Kirk modeled this well. He listened well. I have always been amazed by how well he listened to people. He met hundreds (maybe thousands) of people when he traveled, and yet he still seemed to listen well to each one of them. In many video clips you can hear the crowd booing a person who was bold enough to step up to the microphone with a differing opinion, willing to dialogue with Charlie. When that happened, Charlie would silence the crowd and say, “Let this person speak…” 

When Charlie spoke, he spoke articulately and respectfully. He was clear in his message, unwavering in his conviction, but respectful of the person who disagreed with him. He didn’t resort to name-calling, or shaming the person. He never turned to violence. He respected the person he was talking with, treated them with dignity, and believed in the power of free speech and open communication. I believe that Charlie received amazing grace for engaging in these kinds of interactions with people as a result of endless hours spent in conversation with God through prayer. 

This whole idea of listening well and speaking respectfully is perfectly modeled in God, Himself. When we pray, He hears us. He hears us perfectly. In fact, He doesn’t just hear our words, He hears what we really mean, and what we meant to say. He speaks to us with grace and mercy and respect—not because we deserve it, but because to not speak to us that way would be beneath Him. His character is goodness and kindness and love. Treating us disrespectfully may be what we deserve, but it would be beneath His dignity and character. 

We would be better people if we listened well, spoke respectfully, and prayed more. And the world would be a better place if we all listened well, spoke to each other (especially those with whom we disagree) respectfully, and prayed for ourselves, for one another, and for the world more.

We see this modeled in the life of Jesus. If you want to know how to live well, to live in the fullness of who you were created to be, look to Jesus and simply try to do what you see Him doing. JESUS ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE KING. 

Nothing that has transpired over the past 24 hours, or over the past month, or over the past year, or decade, or century, or ever… has surprised God. He is still on the throne—where He always has been and where He always will be.

Even in trying, scary, horrible times, we don’t act like people without hope. We can weep (Jesus wept). We can cry out to God (Jesus cried out to the Father). We can ask God to intervene (Jesus asked the Father to intervene). But at the end of the day, we need to trust that God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Like Jesus, we need to come to the point where we can say, “Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.” (Luke 22:42)

Jesus is King. We can trust Him. We can trust that He is working.

God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to take our sin and shame upon Himself on the cross, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Charlie Kirk put his faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. As a result, he is more alive today than he has ever been!

On September 6, Charlie Kirk posted on X, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.” That post is 100% true. If you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, what is keeping you from doing that today? You never know when your last moment on earth will come, but I promise you that you want your first moment (and every moment afterwards) in eternity to be with Jesus in heaven.