Guest Hosts - Dave and Betsy Smith, Guest - Josh Jacobsen
The Assassination of Charlie Kirk: A Dark Day for Free Speech
The recent arrest of a suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves through the political landscape. Even those on the left are beginning to realize that there's a manifestation of violence behind divisive rhetoric. The suspect, a 22-year-old former college student who had become radicalized, was apprehended after his own family turned him in—a difficult but necessary decision when confronted with such a heinous act.
Charlie Kirk represented freedom of speech, and his murder symbolizes the extreme lengths some will go to silence opposing voices. This assassination follows a pattern where political violence is increasingly normalized and even celebrated in certain circles.
The Tactics of Political Labeling
For decades, Marxists have employed a strategic labeling tactic, calling anyone who opposes their ideology "fascists." This term carries emotional weight and falsely paints conservatives as authoritarian controllers. In reality, conservatives advocate for individual freedoms, limited government, and personal responsibility—the antithesis of fascism.
The administrative control of private business is a hallmark of fascist regimes, not conservative policies. Yet figures like Tim Sellers, described as "the local propagandist on the Soviet Star," consistently mischaracterize Republicans and their positions.
Media as a Propaganda Machine
The left has an enormous emotional support animal in the American media—a constant cacophony of propaganda. As Matisse Desmond noted in his book "The Totalitarian Personality," roughly 30-35 percent of every population is easily hypnotized. In today's United States, the combined influence of media, academics, and social media creates a powerful mechanism for manipulating thoughts and minds.
This propaganda machine operates through several key strategies:
Selective reporting - Simply not telling you about events that might sway your opinion
False statistics - Using manipulated data to support narratives
Bandwagon effect - Making you feel like "everyone" shares certain opinions
Emotional manipulation - Using heart-wrenching stories to override rational thinking
Repetition - Hammering messages until they become accepted as truth
For example, many statistics about crime rates are misleading because when reporting decreases, they claim crime is down—but often people have simply stopped reporting crimes they know won't be addressed due to staffing shortages or policy changes.
Celebrating Violence: The Heroes of the Masses
In today's political climate, there's a disturbing trend of turning violent actors into heroic figures. The left has shown this pattern repeatedly, treating those who commit violence against conservative figures as "heroes of the masses."
Already, bumper stickers reading "Make Assassination Great Again" have appeared on Dan Boutieras's campaign signs in Tucson. This represents a terroristic threat against a federal candidate and demonstrates how political violence is becoming normalized.
As Matisse Desmond pointed out in his recent article, these so-called "heroes" are actually cowards. The suspect who killed Charlie Kirk shot from a distance and tried to escape—a cowardly act. These individuals aren't afraid of death; they're afraid of truth, and they must silence those who speak it.
The Double Standard of Freedom of Speech
There's a critical distinction between freedom of speech and freedom from consequences. While many on the left are complaining about losing their jobs for inflammatory statements, they fail to understand that the First Amendment protects you from government prosecution, not private employment consequences.
Companies have standards of conduct necessary for a civil society. You can exercise your free speech rights, but private employers can terminate you for violating their policies. This is not censorship—it's accountability.
Meanwhile, conservatives are told to "tone down rhetoric" despite not advocating violence. Political positions based on religious or moral values are falsely equated with incitement, creating a double standard where conservative speech is scrutinized while left-wing rhetoric encouraging violence is ignored or excused.
Josh Jacobson: Fighting Homelessness and Crime in Tucson
The Tucson Crime Free Coalition, now approaching its three-year anniversary, has amassed about 8,500 members working to address substance use disorder, mental health issues, and crime reduction. Josh Jacobson, a representative of the organization, explained their current focus on opposing a city-sanctioned encampment planned for Grant Road.
"The Star Village encampment is slated to house 25 females and non-binary individuals," Jacobson explained. "What we've seen happen many times with these encampments is that they attract crime and substance use and drug dealing. It destroys the area."
The proposed site is in the Sugar Hill neighborhood—a historically Black community with strong neighborhood ties, a park, and the Donna Ligon Center where youth activities take place. The community was blindsided by the city's decision, learning about it through media reports rather than direct community engagement.
To address this issue, the Tucson Crime Free Coalition is organizing a press conference and open house on Monday, September 15th at Brother John's BBQ (1801 North Stone Avenue) beginning at 4:30 PM.
"The city of Tucson has no business being in the housing business," Jacobson stated. "They need to leave that to the experts in the space—Gospel Rescue Mission, La Frontera, those types of groups."
Jacobson emphasized that enabling people to remain in encampments isn't compassionate. His organization regularly conducts outreach at existing encampments like the "100 Acre Woods," where they've encountered people who've been living in squalor for years—one man for three and a half years, others in drainage tunnels for seven years.
"When you're in the encampments and talking to people, the amount of despair behind their eyes—one young guy told me 'I've been here too long.' How do we let people stay in encampments for three and a half years?" Jacobson asked.
The solution, according to Jacobson, isn't creating sanctioned encampments but investing in navigators and actual shelters and facilities that can help people break the cycle of addiction and homelessness. He noted that contrary to common claims, there is sufficient bed space available according to the point-in-time count conducted earlier this year.
Lane Santa Cruz and the Local Response to Kirk's Assassination
In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, local Tucson politicians have made disturbing statements. Lane Santa Cruz, the Tucson Ward One City Council member (who can be seen on YouTube assaulting a Tucson police officer—a felony that went unprosecuted), posted on Instagram in Spanish: "Karma. If you know, you know. May your little god curse you and damn you."
Her communications director, Benny Gomez, posted "nasty lies about Charlie Kirk, calling him racist, xenophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, sexist, and a white nationalist mouthpiece," according to Betsy Brantner Smith.
Those disgusted by these statements can call the city manager at 520-791-4204 or the Ward One office at 520-791-4040 to express their concerns.
The Path Forward: Local Elections Matter
With two important upcoming elections—the CD7 special election on September 23rd and the city of Tucson election on November 4th—local political action has never been more important.
"The election of Donald Trump back to the White House did not create any great victory," Smith emphasized. "It won a battle. Now we're at war."
That war is being fought at the local level, where city councils and county boards make decisions that directly impact residents' quality of life, including policies on homelessness, crime, and community safety.
This Saturday, September 13th, campaign volunteers will meet at 7:30 AM at Thomas J. Regional Park (6465 South Craycroft) to door-knock and distribute literature for JL Wittenbraker's campaign.
"We have a chance to change this city council from being a totally left-wing psychotic group to having two adults in the room," Smith noted, emphasizing the binary choice facing voters: "freedom or oppression."
As we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, the battle to protect freedoms begins locally. The assassination of Charlie Kirk should serve as a stark reminder of what's at stake—not just nationally, but in every city council and county board election across the country.