An Orange County school teacher is facing possible disciplinary action after making a controversial post on social media after the killing of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk in Utah last week.
“I’ve never wished a man dead, but I’ve read some obituaries with great pleasure,” Orange County High School teacher Aaron Beck posted to Facebook.
Beck attributed the words to humorist Mark Twain, a common mistake. Twain never said the words. Instead, it was lawyer Clarence Darrow — most noted for his involvement in the Leopold and Loeb murder trial and the Scopes "monkey" trial — who said, "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."
Orange County residents and parents took to social media themselves to express their disdain.
“For almost a decade one political party ideology has repeatedly called the opposing party one of the most vile and disgusting labels the 20th century has ever seen. And to think that there would be no repercussions for all media outlets demonizing one side wouldn’t result in violence is insane,” Orange County parent Nico Barney told The Daily Progress, repeating a Republican talking point that it is Democrats and the left who are largely responsible for the escalation in political violence in recent years.
Another parent, Stephanie Linville, said it came as an added shock to her family as Beck is her child’s teacher.
"There are a lot of people very upset by Mr. Beck’s comment on Facebook celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk. I have seen people happy about him being dead but didn’t expect it to be my child’s teacher. I think what he said was very wrong and disgusting, especially at a time when our country struggles to value human life," Linville told The Daily Progress.
Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Daniel Hornick told parents in a letter Thursday that the school division is aware of Beck’s post and that it would be treated as a “personnel matter." "Division policy" would be followed with regard to any disciplinary action, he said, without further explanation.
Hornick did not respond to a Daily Progress inquiry.
Barney has joined other parents asking for Beck to be held accountable.
“A publicly funded state employee who openly reveled in the death of a fellow American, is absolutely abhorrent and despicable. Freedom of speech does not absolve you from freedom of consequences," he said.
But there were some, like Linville, who said they do not see what Beck did as a fireable offense, even if it was offensive.
"As I despise what he said, I do not think it was a firable [sic] offense. He should be held accountable and disciplined for it, but I think we need to be careful with jumping to the extreme every time someone else does or says something we don’t agree with. He has not brought any of this into the classroom according to my kid and I think that’s important to consider as well," Linville said.
Kirk was shot and killed while speaking last Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Kirk, the co-founder of nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA, was a conservative activist and provocateur who was an ally of President Donald Trump and had a strong following among younger Republicans. He was known for his visits to college campuses, where he invited those who disagreed with him into sometimes-vehement debates on all manner of issues social, political, diplomatic and economic.
Last Wednesday’s stop at Utah Valley was the first on Kirk’s "American Comeback Tour."
“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” Kirk was asked by a member of the audience.
"Counting or not counting gang violence?" Kirk responded just before a gunshot rang out and Kirk slumped over with blood gushing from his neck.
Kirk was an outspoken opponent of firearm restrictions and had previously said that at least some gun deaths were "worth it" in order to preserve the Second Amendment of the Constitution, the right to keep and bear arms.
"I think it’s worth it," he told a crowd at a Turning Point USA gathering in Salt Lake City in April 2023. "I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational."
The FBI announced Friday that the suspected shooter, 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson, had been taken into custody after his father turned him in.
Beck is far from the first person to face consequences for public remarks in the wake of Kirk’s killing. Nor is he the first
Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson has called out "deeply troubling" comments she has seen on social media in the days after Kirk’s death.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other Republican leaders have called for action to be taken against two Chesterfield County Public Schools employees after they made social media posts after Kirk’s killing. One of those, School Board Member Dot Heffron, tendered her resignation Friday effective Dec. 31.
"Anyone who would suggest the heinous murder of the father of two young children is acceptable should be disqualified from teaching or working with children again," Gullickson posted on social media Friday night. "Celebrating or condoning political violence is unacceptable and has absolutely no place in Virginia’s public schools."
Gullickson encouraged school divisions to refer teachers and administrators who may have made similar for possible license revocation.
Outside of Virginia schools, men and women across the country are facing consequences for publicly remarking on the killing.
MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd was fired after what the president of the media company, Rebecca Kutler, called “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable” comments during a live interview.
"He’s been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech aimed at certain groups. I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that is the environment we are in. You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in,” Dowd said after the shooting.
Charlie Rock, former spokesman for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, also was fired.
“Why are yall [sic] sad? Your man said it was worth it,” Rock’s post on X read alongside a picture of Kirk.
“The views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers. We do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual,” the Panthers posted to their social media accounts Thursday.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
Be First to Comment