Ashes & Echoes - Charlie Kirk; Think of the Witnesses // Digital Cruelty & Self-Reflection

death, compassion, empathy, healing, online cruelty, mental health, Charlie Kirk, tragedy, humanity, respect


In this episode, we reflect on the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, emphasizing a need for compassion and empathy in the face of loss. The conversation critiques the online culture of cruelty and desensitization surrounding tragedies, urging listeners to recognize the human impact of such events. 

This isn't about agreeing or disagreeing with Charlie's views.
We need to talk about the growing culture of cruelty.
If we lose our empathy, we lose the thread that holds us together.
You are responsible for your healing, and healing is not linear.
The biggest gifts from the universe are time and energy.
You are how you show up for yourself and for others.
Everything is temporary. Are you happy right now?
Protect your energy. Protect your peace.
Let's be better. Let's be kinder.
Don't die mad, grumpy, and miserable.

You can find me online at www.dearpsychopomp.com

or contact@dearpsychopomp.com

I hope your weekend is gentle and full of opportunities ♡

Transcript

Dear Psychopomp (00:02.382)
Hey everyone, welcome back. Today's episode is different. It's heavier. It's not a political rant and it's not a debate. It is simply an opinion of someone who has intimate knowledge and experience around death. I'm hoping to just...

pause, reflect, encourage a little humility and humanity. And this is not a personal attack on anyone in particular, it's not an attack at all, it's just a different point of view.

We're talking about the tragic death of Charlie Kirk, a public figure whose life ended violently during a campus event in Utah. And before we go any further, please be advised, this episode discusses the manner of his death, which was a targeted shooting. So if that's something you're not ready to hear, I understand. Take care of yourself first.

Dear Psychopomp (01:24.738)
This isn't about agreeing or disagreeing with Charlie's views. It's about recognizing the loss of a husband, a father, a friend, and the ripple effect that that loss has on real people. It's also about the growing culture of cruelty.

online the keyboard warriors who treat tragedy like a sport who rush to score points or crack jokes we need to talk about that we need to read the room

So today, we're asking for compassion. Because if we lose our empathy, we lose the thread that holds us together.

I just don't understand how someone can be so easily and so deeply caught up in hatred to be celebrating a human being taking away another human being's life.

Are they so desensitized from too much time in front of a screen that they think celebrating loudly is acceptable?

Dear Psychopomp (02:57.858)
They can do better than that. And this isn't political. This is a plea. If you were offended by what I just said, take a step back outside of your ego and look at it this way. How many people were there that day? His family, event workers, curious people, students, and they all witnessed a murder.

They heard the shot. They felt the confusion, the panic, the survival instincts kicking in until they know they're safe.

They saw what happened. His body, his blood, the shock, the adrenaline dump, the grief and the horror.

They have all been traumatized and will absolutely need therapy, along with the first responders who willingly run towards someone with a weapon to keep you safe, who felt the same adrenaline rush and responded nevertheless. Think of them. Think of them all. Empathize with their

wildly dysregulated central nervous systems and fresh trauma.

Dear Psychopomp (04:27.288)
This was not justice. Justice is, according to the dictionary, just behaviour or treatment, and a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people.

Where was the genuine respect for those people? For the people who watched it happen or saw the photos and videos online, whether they wanted to or not?

I was scrolling through Facebook that day and I saw something about Kirk and now

I am an emphatic Star Trek fan. So I saw Kirk and I was like, ooh, and I ended up watching that video. I did not want to see that video. I just.

Ugh, the internet.

Dear Psychopomp (05:32.246)
I propose a challenge. Use this happening as a jolt into reality. You are alive. At some point, you won't be.

Everything is temporary. Are you happy right now? Why not?

Are you frozen in fear?

Dear Psychopomp (06:01.452)
I believe in you. I know you can take control of your life and that there is a community of people who really want to help, whatever your situation is. Look for the helpers. You get one life. You are not what happens to you. You are how you get through it. Ups and downs. You are not responsible

for what happened to you, but you are responsible for your healing. And healing is not linear. You're not broken. You're more than enough and very worthy. You need to surround yourself with who and what you want to be, not with who or what drains you. Really pay attention to that.

biggest gifts from the universe are time and energy. They are the currency that you need to protect.

You freaking got this. I know you do.

And before we go, I want to leave you with this.

Dear Psychopomp (07:23.234)
an eye for an eye and the world goes blind. And it's true. When we lose sight of each other's humanity, we lose ourselves. What happened to Charlie Kirk was tragic. What's happening in the aftermath, the online cruelty, the desensitization, the performative outrage, that's tragic too.

Dear Psychopomp (07:55.99)
You are how you show up for yourself and for others. You are how you choose to heal. It's messy, it's hard, and it's worth it. I promise. Don't die mad, grumpy, and miserable.

Protect your energy. Protect your peace. Spend your time like it's sacred because it is. And if you are scared shitless, know this my friend, you are not alone.

Let's be better. Let's be kinder.

Let's read the room.

Dear Psychopomp (08:51.576)
Thanks for being here. Thanks for letting me be here.

You can find me online at dearpsychopomp.com.

And as always, I hope you die happy and fulfilled.