We have become a nation that refuses to see that life, reality, and the world we actually live in are not played out as right or wrong, left or right, black or white; it’s not even gray. Life is a messy combination of colors, all thrown in together to find imperfect solutions to difficult problems. It’s arguments, disagreements, handshakes, and hugs. It’s looking someone in the eye and choosing to see their humanity before seeing the thing we disagree with. It’s choosing to raise another person’s humanity over our own beliefs or our need to be right.

You don’t have to give up your personal beliefs to see the humanity in another person.

What we actually know is more important than what we think we know.

Spreading what we think we know is the same as being intentionally deceitful.

What we don’t know…

-the identity of the man in the photos released by the FBI.

-age, education, or training of the man in the photos.

-if the man in the photos is actually the murderer.

-the motive.

-the mental state of the murderer.

-who, if anyone else, was involved.

What we know…

-Charlie Kirk was murdered.

-murder is a heinous crime.

-violence is never an acceptable option.

-that too many, including the US President, are accusing fellow Americans of orchestrating this crime with no evidence to back up their claims.

-people heard what they wanted to hear from Kirk, the good and the bad, and judged him by their preconceived ideas.

-Kirk was human, and like all humans, he wasn’t perfect; he made mistakes.

-no spouse or child deserves what Erica Kirk and her children are going through.

We are destroying ourselves from the inside out.

We are allowing those with money, power, and prestige to manipulate us into warring factions.

The only people truly benefiting from this are those who are using it to expand their wealth, power, and prestige.

Since the writing of this, Trump announced that a suspect has been arrested.