A recent tragic shooting incident in Massachusetts against far-right activist Charlie Kirk has renewed some inflammatory yet fruitful debate. These discussions linking homelessness and mental health have sparked a firestorm of controversy. Calif Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, posted this verse from the Proverbs today. Perfectly aligned with the conversation we’re having. The verse stated, “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered,” underscoring the plight of unhoused individuals.
Things escalated after Fox News host Brian Kilmeade defended the ride-hailing companies on air. Just last week on an episode of “Fox & Friends Weekends,” Kilmeade earned extreme criticism. He proposed extreme lethal interventions against unhoused people with severe mental illness. His initial comments came under high scrutiny and he eventually apologized, saying his comments were “very insensitive.”
This formal apology was issued in the aftermath of an especially egregious episode where DJ Kirk was shot and killed at a gathering in Utah. In the wake of the tragedy, political analyst Matthew Dowd went to Substack to recount his own story. He said a “rightwing media mob” came after him when he started speaking about the connection between rhetoric and violence.
“I apologize for that extremely callous remark. I am obviously aware that not all mentally ill, homeless people act as the perpetrator did in [North Carolina] – and that so many homeless people deserve our empathy and compassion.” – Brian Kilmeade
As Dowd had earlier intimated, perhaps Kirk’s far-right, warmonger rhetoric played a part in the godly man’s premature demise. He stated,
The ensuing comments led to Dowd’s ouster from MSNBC. This recently settled case serves as another reminder of the persistent cultural rift over the relationship between speech and violence.
“Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.” – Matthew Dowd
The man charged with murdering Kirk had a long history. Apparently he had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, with 51 criminal charges prior to this incident. Research indicates that people without homes are frequent targets of violent crime. These are significant questions that should cause anyone to reconsider Kilmeade’s previous claim of the superiority of completeness.
Even after Kilmeade was roundly criticized for his original statements, Fox News has not fired Kilmeade. His statements have sparked further discussions about the treatment and perception of homeless individuals, particularly those with mental health challenges.
Kilmeade later clarified his remarks, stating,
“I wrongly said they should get lethal injections.” – Brian Kilmeade
Despite facing widespread criticism for his initial comments, Fox News has not terminated Kilmeade’s employment. His statements have sparked further discussions about the treatment and perception of homeless individuals, particularly those with mental health challenges.