Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, who has been locked in a protracted legal battle with HYBE, appeared in person on Thursday (Sept. 11) at the Seoul Central District Court. It was her first court appearance since the dispute began last year. On the witness stand was HYBE’s chief legal officer, Jung Jin-soo.
That day, the court heard two consolidated claims: HYBE’s request to confirm the termination of a shareholder agreement, and Min’s demand for payment under a put option (a contractual right to sell shares back). Positions between the parties remained sharply divided. The hearing revisited long-running flashpoints — allegations that HYBE’s new girl group copied NewJeans, clauses described by Min as “slave-like” non-compete terms, and claims of “forced album releases” targeting NewJeans. Jung questioned Min’s outside activities and possible breaches of contract, while Min countered, calling the narrative “fiction” and accusing the witness of “multiple false statements.” The courtroom confrontation stretched for almost five hours.
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The court plans to question Min again on Nov. 27 and wrap up arguments on Dec. 18, with a ruling expected in January 2026. At the heart of the civil dispute is the validity of a put option estimated at around 26 billion won (approximately $19 million USD). The shareholder agreement reportedly allows Min to sell up to 75% of her ADOR stake to HYBE, based on 13 times the company’s average operating profit over the previous two years. Applying ADOR’s 2022 loss of 4 billion won and 2023 profit of 33.5 billion won, the amount is calculated at roughly 26 billion. HYBE argues that the shareholder agreement was terminated in July 2023, nullifying the option, while Min maintains there was no termination and says she resigned only after exercising the option in November.
Later that afternoon, a separate proceeding was held: the second closed mediation session in ADOR’s lawsuit seeking confirmation of NewJeans’ exclusive contract validity. At the first session on August 14, members Minji and Danielle attended, drawing heavy media attention, but no agreement was reached. The session ended after just 20 minutes without a settlement, and the court scheduled a main ruling for October 30. NewJeans members remain barred from independent activities under a preliminary injunction granted to ADOR.
HYBE and Min Hee-jin’s put-option case is expected to conclude arguments by the end of the year, with a verdict likely in January. The NewJeans-ADOR contract dispute is also nearing resolution, with a decision set for Oct. 30. Nearly a year of intertwined litigation among HYBE, Min Hee-jin, ADOR and NewJeans is heading toward sequential conclusions as the year draws to a close — and the industry is watching closely to see where this saga ultimately lands.
The sequel to Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place returns for a second season with back-to-back episodes, featuring a crowded house of young wizards now that protégée Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) has been joined in the magic trade by Russo brothers Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko). While Justin (David Henrie) helps train the young wizards for the Family Wizard Competition, expect guest-star appearances by Selena Gomez (reprising her role as Justin’s sister Alex), What We Do in the Shadows alum Harvey Guillén as Gossip Stone and Criminal Minds‘Kirsten Vangsness as Bigelow McFigglehorn, a member of the Wizard Tribunal. All episodes of Season 2 will begin streaming on Disney+ on October 8.
Disney / Mitch Haaseth
Vampirina: Teenage Vampire
The supernatural fun continues on a music-heavy comedy series starring Kenzi Richardson as Vampirina — or as her friends call her, “Vee” — a tween vampire from Transylvania who’s left the crypt to sink her teeth into a performing-arts boarding school. As one does. Living Single‘s Kim Coles costars as the Wilson Hall Academy of the Arts’ Dean Merriweather, with Jiwon Lee as Vee’s perky roommate Sophie and Milo Maharlika as Demi, a 600-year-old ghost sent by Vee’s parents to keep a spectral eye on Vee. The entire season will begin streaming on Disney+ on October 15, with the first single (“Slay”) available today.
Diyah Pera / Netflix
The Wrong Paris
What would Emily Cooper (of Emily in Paris) do? Have a meltdown, most likely. Which is country girl Dawn’s (Miranda Cosgrove of iCarly fame) initial reaction when she signs on as a contestant for the Honey Pot dating show, set in Paris, where she hopes to pursue her art-school dreams. But reality (as in reality TV) sets in when she discovers the show is actually set in Paris, Texas. This being a romcom, you won’t be surprised to learn that the cowboy bootcamp has an upside: the bachelor himself, a hunky hayseed named Trey (Pierson Fodé) who takes a shine to Dawn.
Christopher Barr / USA Network
The Rainmaker
Novice lawyer Rudy (Milo Callaghan) squares off in court on the opposite side of his girlfriend Sarah (Madison Iseman) for a high-stakes evidentiary hearing in a pivotal episode of the legal drama based on John Grisham’s bestseller. Sarah and her new mentor Brad (Wade Briggs) know their jobs at Tinley Britt are on the line, while Rudy keeps trying to prove himself to his boss Bruiser (Lana Parrilla), though he has a risky habit of ignoring all of her advice and warnings. Adding to the anxiety: the results of the bar exam are beginning to come in.
War clouds are forming on several fronts in the penultimate episode of Jason Momoa‘s historical epic set in the pre-unification Hawaiian Islands of the early 1800s. Grieving the slaughter on the beach of hundreds of innocent villagers by European invaders, Ka’iana (Momoa) is losing faith in war chief and future king Kamehameha’s (Kaina Makua) resolve. And there’s another enemy within, with the battle-hungry Keoua (Cliff Curtis) on the rampage.
INSIDE FRIDAY TV:
True Crime Watch: On ABC‘s 20/20 (9/8c), Stephanie Ramos reports on the 2001 murder of Leslie Preer in her suburban Maryland home, which was only solved nearly 25 years later when DNA under her fingerprints finally found a match. On Dateline NBC (10/9c), Keith Morrison reports on the investigation into the 2014 murder in Calgary, Alberta of Shannon Madill Burgess, an aspiring actress and newlywed.
Lost in the Jungle (9/8c, National Geographic): A real-life survival story unfolds in a documentary from Oscar winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo, The Rescue) and director Juan Camilo Cruz, recounting the 40-day ordeal of four Indigenous children who are stranded in the Columbian jungle after a 2023 plane crash.
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The California Legislature on Thursday passed a pair of bills to prohibit on-duty law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from masking their faces and to require them to identify themselves.
Senate Bill 627, written by Sens. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley), includes exceptions for SWAT teams and others. The measure was introduced after the Trump administration ordered immigration raids throughout the Los Angeles area earlier this year.
Federal officers in army-green neck gaiters or other face coverings have jumped out of vans and cars to detain individuals across California this summer as part of President Trump’s mass deportation program, prompting a wave of criticism from Democratic leaders.
Representatives for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security defend the face coverings, arguing that identifying officers subjects to them to retaliation and violence.
If supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the law would apply to local and federal officers, but not state officers such as California Highway Patrol officers. Wiener, when asked about that exemption on the Senate floor, declined to elaborate.
Leaders in Los Angeles County are exploring a similar measure to ban masks despite some legal experts’ view that the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution dictates that federal law takes precedence over state law.
The bill’s backers argue that permitting officers to disguise themselves creates scenarios where impostors may stop and detain migrants, which undermines public trust and ultimately hinders legitimate law enforcement operations.
“The idea that in California we would have law enforcement officers running around with ski masks is terrifying,” Wiener said in a brief interview. “It destroys confidence in law enforcement.”
Wiener’s bill allows exceptions for masks, including for undercover officers. Medical coverings are also allowed. .
Senate Bill 805, a measure by Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Alhambra) that targets immigration officers who are in plainclothes but don’t identify themselves, also passed the state Legislature on Thursday.
Her bill requires law enforcement officers in plain clothes to display their agency, as well as either a badge number or name, with some exemptions.
Christina Ricci stars in Betsey Johnson’s fall 2025 campaign. Photo: Zoey Grossman / Betsey Johnson
Christina Ricci takes center stage as the face of Betsey Johnson’s Fall 2025 campaign. She channels the label’s fearless mix of drama and play. The actress, long admired for her gothic screen presence, slips into the brand’s extravagant universe with striking ease.
Betsey Johnson Fall 2025 Campaign
The clothing is rich in contrasts, designed to celebrate excess with a sharp edge. A sweeping black dress, trimmed with feathers at the sleeves and hem, feels both glamorous and defiant. A tougher note arrives in a leather jacket layered over a tiered cage skirt. It shows how Johnson’s designs balance attitude with theatrical appeal.
Ricci’s beauty look ties it all together: sleek, pin-straight hair with blunt bangs that sharpen her gaze and amplify the collection’s darker undertones. The campaign’s black-and-white images highlight cascades of tulle and textured layers, including a striking portrait of Ricci standing side by side with Betsey herself.
Accessories are no afterthought, from sparkling embellishments to unexpected props like candy machines and carousel horses. Each touch adds wit and wonder, reminding us of Johnson’s legendary taste for irreverence.
Christina Ricci stars in Betsey Johnson’s fall 2025 campaign. Photo: Zoey Grossman / Betsey Johnson
Christina Ricci takes center stage as the face of Betsey Johnson’s Fall 2025 campaign. She channels the label’s fearless mix of drama and play. The actress, long admired for her gothic screen presence, slips into the brand’s extravagant universe with striking ease.
Betsey Johnson Fall 2025 Campaign
The clothing is rich in contrasts, designed to celebrate excess with a sharp edge. A sweeping black dress, trimmed with feathers at the sleeves and hem, feels both glamorous and defiant. A tougher note arrives in a leather jacket layered over a tiered cage skirt. It shows how Johnson’s designs balance attitude with theatrical appeal.
Ricci’s beauty look ties it all together: sleek, pin-straight hair with blunt bangs that sharpen her gaze and amplify the collection’s darker undertones. The campaign’s black-and-white images highlight cascades of tulle and textured layers, including a striking portrait of Ricci standing side by side with Betsey herself.
Accessories are no afterthought, from sparkling embellishments to unexpected props like candy machines and carousel horses. Each touch adds wit and wonder, reminding us of Johnson’s legendary taste for irreverence.
Scott Adams, the creator of the famous ‘Dilbert’ comic strip, talked about the murder of Charlie Kirk during his ‘Coffee With Scott Adams’ podcast today and suggested that the Democrat party has to be ‘totally dismantled.’
Citing a tweet from conservative activist Mike Cernovich, Adams pointed out that the Democrat party is supported not just by a small group of progressive billionaires, but also by an endless web of non-profits and various NGOs (non-government organizations).
Adams emphasizes the fact that he would not have made these comments just a few days ago, but that he took the murder of Charlie Kirk personally and that Democrats not only spread the rhetoric that led to this, they have actually made it worse in the two days that followed.
Scott Adams: The Democrat Party needs to be ripped out by the roots
@ScottAdamsSays “Two days ago I would have said the healthiest thing for the country is that there are two strong political parties battling it out, in a war of ideas.
But you know who else thought that? Charlie f-in’ Kirk.
He thought that we could talk it out. His whole model was based on polite debate and doing it in public so everybody could see it.
That didn’t work. He got sh-t. So now we just need to destroy the entire Democrat Party.
They haven’t stopped calling [Trump] Hitler. They’re blaming him for the shooting.
It didn’t get better; it got worse.”
Watch the video below:
Scott Adams: The Democrat Party needs to be ripped out by the roots⁰⁰@ScottAdamsSays “Two days ago I would have said the healthiest thing for the country is that there are two strong political parties battling it out, in a war of ideas. But you know who else thought that?… pic.twitter.com/gftStZkR7j
It might seem like a harmless habit to linger on the loo with your phone while “taking care of business”, but research shows that prolonged toilet time can increase the risk of several health problems. Earlier this month the Daily Express revealed how a new study proved that smartphone use while on the loo is linked to a 46 percent increase risk of developing haemorrhoids.
Now Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy at Lancaster University, has produced a full, alarming list of seven health conditions that can be cause by spending too long on the toilet. A healthy toilet trip should only last two to three minutes, yet the study found that 37% of participants who used their phones while on the can spent more than five minutes there.
So here in The Conversation are the seven main health issues you may want to avoid by shortening your stay in the smallest room in the house:
1. Haemorrhoids
“Haemorrhoids are enlarged blood vessels occurring in or around the anal opening. They develop due to increased pressure in the anal cushions – a part of the spongy tissue that surrounds your anus. These cushions allow the anus to expand as faeces is expelled.
“Sitting too long on the toilet places extra pressure on these cushions, leading to haemorrhoids, as does straining to force faeces out.
“It’s estimated that between 50-85% of people worldwide suffer from haemorrhoids. Symptoms include painless bleeding, irritation, itching and discomfort. However, haemorrhoids aren’t always symptomatic. Some people have them without knowing.
“Haemorrhoids can also lead to complications such as anaemia from prolonged bleeding, and strangulation or clotting within the haemorrhoid – both of which cause severe pain.”
2. Anal fissures or tears
“Sitting on the toilet too long can cause anal fissures or tears. They are small cuts in the anal lining. Anal fissures are often accompanied by significant pain – likened to passing broken glass when having a bowel movement, alongside bright red blood.
“The anal lining is thin and sitting on the toilet for too long causes pooling of the blood, which stretches the lining, making it more prone to damage as faeces passes out.”
3. Prolapse
“Faeces may not be the only thing that passes out the body after sitting on the toilet. Extended loo time can increase your risk of having your rectum fall out of your body – a condition known as a rectal prolapse.
“This uncommon condition occurred in one man who would often spend up to 30 minutes on the toilet playing smartphone games. One day, he found nearly 14cm of his rectum protruding out of his body while attempting a bowel movement.
“Prolonged sitting on the toilet increases pressure in the abdomen, which subsequently increases pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles help hold our internal organs, including our rectum, inside. But prolonged pressure can weaken these muscles.
“In women, this could also result in other pelvic organs – such as a uterus – prolapsing out of the body.
“Rectal prolapse is often painful, and you’ll need to visit the hospital if you have one so it can be re-inserted. If it happens repeatedly or if the case is particularly extreme, it will require surgery.”
4. Pressure sores and ulcers
“Prolonged sitting on the loo, particularly in the elderly, may increase the risk of pressure sores occurring on the skin that comes in contact with the toilet seat.
“Prolonged sitting compresses the tissues, reducing blood flow to them. This then results in toxic substances building up in the blood which damage the tissues and cause them to breakdown. Pressure sores are painful.”
5. Hiatal hernia
“Prolonged sitting on the toilet and straining to defecate may contribute to hiatal hernia, particularly in susceptible people (including those who are obese or over the age of 50).
“This is where part of the stomach and other abdominal organs slide through the opening in your diaphragm (a dome-shaped muscle that helps us breathe), ending up in the chest cavity.
“Hiatal hernias are common, affecting 20% of people. They typically result in indigestion, stomach pains and discomfort around the ribs and chest. They can be treated with medication to reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach or in more severe cases require surgery.”
6. Toilet seat neuropathy
“Sitting too long on the toilet compresses the major nerves and blood vessels, reducing blood supply to the legs. This can cause your legs to go numb as a result – a phenomenon known as toilet seat or toilet bowl neuropathy. It usually goes away after a few minutes.
“But there have been some case studies where patients who passed out on the toilet after a night of drinking – subsequently spending the night there – found themselves entirely numb and unable to move. In one extreme case, a man developed gangrene, sepsis and sadly died after falling asleep on the toilet.”
7. Fainting
“Prolonged toilet time combined with straining may also result in fainting.
“This condition, called vasovagal syncope, occurs when prolonged straining on the toilet irritates the vagus nerves. These nerves control many of the body’s automatic functions – including heart rate and blood pressure.
“In the case of defecation syncope, blood pressure can drop suddenly when we stand up from the toilet. Heart rate also drops causing dizziness, light-headedness and fainting.”
The healthy way to poo:
“To reduce your risk of suffering any of these conditions, spend as short a time seated on the loo as possible.
“You could also potentially modify your position when using the loo. Some evidence suggests squatting is better for defecation, as it reduces the stress and straining needed to poo. However, other studies have shown this position could potentially increase risk of other health problems – such as risk of stroke and damage to the achilles tendon.
“Other advice includes eating more fibre and drinking water if you’re someone who regularly takes longer than five minutes to do your business as both can help you have healthier poos. They will also prevent straining while having your bowel movement.”
College students today have “more resources available to you in your phone than anybody in the history of everything,” said Mark Cuban earlier this week at the All-In Summit. And that’s exactly the advice he tells his college-aged kids.
Cuban told the audience that he is advising his three kids (two are in college) to shy away from looking for a job at a big company. In the joint interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Cuban said getting a job at a large corporation now is tougher than ever — especially as these companies integrate AI into everyday workflows.
“I got two kids in college, and what I tell them is if you were looking for a job at a big company, you’re not going to get it,” said Cuban, whose net worth is reportedly around $6 billion.
Instead, he told them to look for a smaller-to-medium-sized company that could benefit from hiring Gen Z employees who are AI-native.
“The small to medium-sized companies need all the help they can get from AI natives,” Cuban explained. “Because walking in and understanding AI and being able to implement [it] for that company is a huge step forward [for] them. That’s one way we will adjust.”
Cuban could be on to something. Despite many executives and even the “Godfather of AI” predicting mass unemployment due to artificial intelligence implementation, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seems equally excited about what this all means for current students and recent graduates.
Altman told the “Huge Conversations” podcast in August that if he were 22 years old and just finishing college, he would “feel like the luckiest kid in all of history” because of the new opportunities, from starting new companies to writing code, that AI can provide.
“You have access to these tools that can let you do what used to take teams of hundreds,” Altman said.
College students today have “more resources available to you in your phone than anybody in the history of everything,” said Mark Cuban earlier this week at the All-In Summit. And that’s exactly the advice he tells his college-aged kids.
Cuban told the audience that he is advising his three kids (two are in college) to shy away from looking for a job at a big company. In the joint interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Cuban said getting a job at a large corporation now is tougher than ever — especially as these companies integrate AI into everyday workflows.
“I got two kids in college, and what I tell them is if you were looking for a job at a big company, you’re not going to get it,” said Cuban, whose net worth is reportedly around $6 billion.
Late designer Giorgio Armani has instructed heirs to gradually sell the fashion brand he created 50 years ago or seek a stock market listing, his will said, marking a surprising turn for a company highly protective of its independence and Italian roots.
The will, reviewed by Reuters, states heirs should sell an initial 15% stake in the Italian fashion house within 18 months and later transfer an additional 30% to 54.9% stake to the same buyer between three and five years after Armani’s death.
The designer, known in the industry as ‘King Giorgio’ died on September 4, at 91 and with no children.
Giorgio Armani at The Park Avenue Armory during the Giorgio Armani Fashion Spring 2025 fashion show on Oct. 17, 2024. Tamara Beckwith
The will also says that priority should be given to luxury giant, beauty heavyweight L’Oreal, eyewear leader EssilorLuxottica or another group of “equal standing” identified by a foundation the designer set up to preserve his legacy with the agreement of Armani’s business and life partner Pantaleo Dell’Orco.
Alternatively, an initial public offering should be pursued, in Italy or in a market of equal standing, it said.
The explicit mention of stake sales and of France-listed players as potential buyers is in stark contrast with Giorgio Armani’s persistent refusal to dilute his control or list his fashion group on the stock market.
Over the years, the maker of popular unstructured suits that gained him international fame received several approaches, including one in 2021 from John Elkann, scion of Italy’s Agnelli family, and another from luxury brand Gucci, when Maurizio Gucci was still at the helm.
Armani was the sole major shareholder of the company he set up with his late partner Sergio Galeotti in the 1970s and over which he maintained a tight rein – both creative and managerial – until the very end.
He has left behind no children to inherit the business, which generated relatively stable revenue – $2.7 billion in 2024 – but whose profits have shrunk amid a broad luxury industry recession.
Giorgio Armani reacts to the audience at the end of the Haute Couture collection fall/winter show in Paris on July 4, 2017. AFP via Getty ImagesPeople walk past the Giorgio Armani store in Paris, France after the fashion designer’s death on Sept. 4, 2025. REUTERS
The will gives the Fondazione Giorgio Armani and life partner and right-hand man Pantaleo Dell’Orco 70% of voting rights in the Armani group combined.
The foundation will retain a 30.1% stake in the event of a listing, according to the will.
Heirs should consider other fashion and luxury companies with which Armani’s company has commercial ties for a future sale, the will also said.
As a result he was also being misrepresented — as so often — over what he had said.
The evening before Kirk was killed CNN’s Van Jones claimed that Kirk was “race-mongering” over the Zarutska killing.
Jones and his CNN colleagues continued to pretend to be mystified about why the Charlotte killing happened.
Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. AP
But Kirk wasn’t race mongering, he was highlighting a horrible act of random crime that CNN wanted to ignore and cover up.
Any healthy society would be able to contend with an issue like that. Any healthy society would be able to discuss it.
It would not need to gloss over such facts.
It would have them out and discuss them in the clear light of day.
But our society is not a healthy society.
It is a society where much of the media and others want to cover over uncomfortable facts — or facts that do not support their personal political narrative.
Charlie Kirk didn’t believe in that.
He believed strongly in the clash of ideas.
He believed and lived his life in the understanding that civilized discussion and debate is the most healthy and American thing of all.
That Americans who disagree with each other should bring their best arguments together and hash them out.
He was absolutely right in that belief — and it is a signal of his patriotism and his belief in this country that he did so.
Not least because as he always said, debate is not just the best way, but the only way, to avert political violence.
Others have observed this about America in centuries past.
When the great Alexis de Tocqueville came to America, almost two centuries ago, he marveled about the way in which American society operated.
One of the things that he was most impressed by was the willingness of America’s citizenry, as well as its politicians, to have discussions out in face-to-face exchanges.
The crowd at Utah Valley University reacts after Kirk was fatally shot. AP
While seemingly obvious to Americans, de Tocqueville knew that it was very different from the way in which people in France or Europe behaved in his day.
And de Tocqueville saw this fact as being enormously to the advantage of Americans.
He saw that face-to-face exchanges allow for something special to happen.
If two people are in disagreement but are looking into each others’ faces then the other person is a human being in front of them — like them, just with different views.
The nature of face-to-face exchanges is that they do not allow for, or at least minimize, any efforts to dehumanize people with whom we disagree.
Charlie Kirk speaks to an individual in front of a large crowd at Utah Valley University moments before he was fatally shot by an unknown assailant. AP
We are more likely to extend empathy, compassion and courtesy when we see someone face-to-face.
How different that is from our online age.
An age in which videos of brutal killings crop up all the time in our X timelines.
An age in which TikTokkers and others “LOL” at violence if it suits their own viewpoints.
An age in which online influencers moon over the killer of a healthcare executive and father if the man’s killer seems “hot” to them.
Donald Trump posts on Truth Social after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed by an unknown assailant at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. The White House/ X
An age in which Netflix and other streaming services offer up endless dramas and documentaries in which perpetrators of savage acts of violence are “explained” and “understood”.
In our age face-to-face interactions seem to be the last thing anyone is thinking about.
And fewer and fewer people practice it.
People online rage at public figures anonymously or behind made-up identities.
There — faceless as they themselves are — they can make the people they rage against equally faceless.
People take cover and run after Kirk was fatally shot at a speaking event at Utah Valley University. via REUTERS
They can treat real, living people, as though they are players in some kind of computer game.
Or they can pretend that a real event was fake even while at the same time praising the shooter.
Or asking that the shooter aims better next time.
Law enforcement officials enter the campus of Utah Valley University after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. REUTERS
Or that other shooters emerge and teach the same “lesson” to other people with whom they disagree.
All of this — this online world in which everything is front of you and nothing is real — is the opposite of the value-system that built America.
And it is the opposite of the value system that Charlie Kirk, like so many Americans before him, believed in and admired.
Charlie believed in going out and debating with people.
He literally set up tables on campuses and gave a microphone to anybody who wanted to come and debate him.
The US flag flies at half-staff on the roof of the White House in honor of Charlie Kirk. AFP via Getty Images
You might say that anybody could have done that.
But anybody didn’t, and anybody doesn’t.
And in any case, Charlie Kirk was not just anybody.
He didn’t just give people a platform and debate his ideas and theirs.
He listened.
A well-wisher is overcome with emotions while another individual lays flowers at the headquarters of Turning Point USA after Charlie Kirk was killed by an unknown assailant. AP
As anyone can see from his thousands of exchanges he had over the years — especially with young people — he treated his interlocutors with respect.
People could often be savagely rude and ungracious towards him.
But he treated his fellow Americans — even those he was in passionate disagreement with — with courtesy.
That value — “courtesy” — stood out because it has become so rare in American society.
It is increasingly rare among the online and offline left and right.
A Make America Great Again hat sits at a table where Kirk was sitting before being fatally shot at Utah Valley University. REUTERS
But Charlie Kirk knew that it was vital.
That there is no point in two people simply screaming at each other.
That Americans should instead bring their best arguments to the table and have them out in a civilized manner, respecting the other person as a citizen and as an American.
Of course many people turn out not just to dislike that idea but have an active desire to kill it.
They do so while claiming that words — like the words Charlie Kirk used — are “violence.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson holds a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk. C-SPAN
That speech they don’t agree with is “hate-speech.”
That people who speak “hate speech” have to be “shut down.”
And that if that doesn’t happen then the people exercising their right to free speech are “literally killing people.”
There is one other age-old truth which needs to be inserted into this mix.
Which is the truth that many people on the conservative side have noted for many years: that we live in a political culture but one in which there is a key difference between the two sides.
A surfaced clip that has circulated across social media shows the alleged assailant who killed Charlie Kirk moments before the shooting occurred.
For while the right tends to believe that the left is simply wrong, large portions of the left in this country believe that their opponents are not just “wrong” but “evil.”
When he said that there are only two biological sexes, his opponents accused him not of having a different view from themselves but of trying to eradicate an entire community.
When he defended the traditional Christian idea of marriage they said that he was engaging in “hate” against all gay people.
And when he said that race might be a factor in a killing like that of a beautiful young Ukrainian woman in Charlotte, they suggested that was evilly trying to whip up hatred and violence against all black Americans.
Flowers are shown at the Keller Building on the Utah Valley University campus after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. AP
None of these, or a hundred other things, said about Charlie were true.
But with enough repetition and enough dehumanization of him, you will always find someone who will take that “argument” to its own illogical conclusion.
Stay up to date on the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
If you say for long enough that someone is guilty of “literally killing people” then in a large country with a lot of excitable people you will eventually find someone is willing to take the shot.
Sometimes that person will be someone who believes that they are inserting themselves into the history books.
That by their act of violence they are going to change the course of history.
People attend a vigil at the Utah State Capitol to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk. REUTERS
Or — in the case of too many attempted and actual political assassinations in this country — you will find someone who believes that they can enact the fantasy scenario of going back in time and killing Hitler.
People who think that are delusional of course — and badly, badly misinformed about their opponents. But there are many deluded people around.
That could be seen yesterday in the aftermath of Kirk´s murder.
If contributors on CNN and MSNBC were bad, it was nothing compared to the slew of online hateful rejoicing and “LOL”-ing and mem-ing about Kirk’s fate.
It is so easy for these people not to look into Charlie’s eyes, or the eyes of the young wife and children that he leaves behind.
It is so much easier to treat it all like a computer game.
But this isn’t a game.
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This is real life.
And the stakes are sometimes so wildly high and dangerous that we need to remind ourselves of that.
Charlie Kirk believed in face-to-face dialogue. He died not just doing it, but demonstrating it and embodying it.
If any good can come from this terrible act it should be that many more of us in American do it too.
