Political Assassinations are Evil
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2025 Blog #37
September 15, 2025
Political Assassinations are Evil
I was horrified when I heard the news that Charlie Kirk had been killed by an assassin. I confess that before his murder, I had never heard of him, his organization, or his religious or political beliefs. When I learned of who he was, and what he stood for, I was even more appalled at his killing. It is un-Christian and un-American to kill people with whom we disagree.
I remember other assassinations in our American landscape, although I was too young to understand the implications of these acts and I was too young to be appalled at some of the reactions to these.
I had not started school when JFK was killed. Most people that I knew were sad, depressed, and horrified by this. I didn’t even know what a President was when he was killed. Most people on my block felt that it was the “Communists” who did this. Many people believed that Oswald was the lone gunman in this killing, while others believed that it was a conspiracy by either, communists, the CIA, the Mafia, or a combination of these groups. No matter who did this atrocious act, many people suffered pain from this killing.
I was in grammar school when Malcolm X was killed. There were people who stepped forward and condemned this murder. Other white people that I heard, said rather bigoted things and hoping that Black people would now “know their place.” It is still debated who killed Malcolm X. Was it the Nation of Islam? Was it rogue NYC police officers? No matter who was behind this crime, fear swept the Black community and the following year, the Black Panther Party began to defend the community against those who wished to do harm to black leaders and black people in general.
By 1968, political assassinations had become too common in our country. First Dr. King was murdered, and Robert Kennedy also was gunned down. Conspiracies also followed these two killings. Some believe that the Memphis police were part of a conspiracy to kill MLK and some believe that there was more than one shooter when RFK was killed. I wasn’t there and I don’t know what happened, but I am still appalled that such things happened in the United States.
Just a little more than a year ago, Donald Trump was almost killed by a rifle bullet. We will never know for certain why the shooter did what he did, He was killed before law enforcement authorities had a chance to speak with him. The shooter was somewhat of an enigma as he was a registered Republican but contributed financially to the Democratic Party.
Now Charlie Kirk has been assassinated. No matter who he was or if we agree with what he taught, it is time for people of good will to condemn this latest murder. I was always taught in school that third world countries used assassinations to settle political issues, but in the United States, we did not do this. I was taught that in this country; we settled things at the ballot box. With all of these assassinations, are we becoming a third world country? I hope not.
Both God’s law, and the American Dream both condemn such activities. We, of faith, must talk to others, condemn and discourage acts of violence that undermine what God wants and what this nation stands for. Perhaps we need to call for the end of hate-inspired rhetoric from all sides of the political spectrum. Maybe it is hate filled words that fuels such violence.
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