That’s a despicable headline. But we’re not saying it. That’s the political left’s explanation for why a decent young man with a family was gunned down on Wednesday.

To listen to the legacy media, the professional left and assorted Never Trumpers, Charlie Kirk had it coming. He was divisive, polarizing, a lightning rod. He had “heated back and forth” conversations with college students. Kirk spoke “awful words,” so he shouldn’t expect that “awful actions” would “take place.” He was “controversial,” and, for Pete’s sake, associated with Donald Trump, which made him a legitimate target, because Trump is a fascist, the next Hitler.

This is sick people’s way of saying “he asked for it” without outright that “he asked for it.”

But the truth, which the left is no longer acquainted with, is Kirk offered “one of the few places with open and honest dialogue between left and right. He would answer any question and talk to everyone,” said Vice President JD Vance.

Kirk wanted to heal a broken society by establishing a forum where people could talk to each other rather than talk over or at each other. Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec eloquently reminded us that Kirk “never hurt anybody in his life,” stood up for truth with his voice, not his hands, not through violence.

Charlie Kirk was a happy warrior, an optimist, a decent man, the antithesis of the sullen, always enraged, vicious loons that we find every day on the left.

But to the Democratic machine, which includes much of the media, he was a monster because he dared to exercise his free speech rights by ordering words in ways the left did not approve of.

Those with the courage to speak their minds, to cling to the truth, have been protested, physically attacked, censored – and targeted for assassination.

For all his influence, Kirk had no power. He held no office. But he held convictions that the ruling class has said are verboten. He was one of those “semi-fascists” whom Joe Biden and his ugly ilk declared war on while at the same time declaring conservative rhetoric to be hostile.

We don’t yet know why someone shot Kirk, but we do know the Democrats and their media allies have done everything but put rifles in the hands of the disturbed and provided them de facto maps and instructions so they could be rid of meddlesome political opponents.

Rest in glorious peace, Charlie Kirk, while all the bastards and screeching harridans who said you had it coming roast in the Hell they made for themselves.

— Written by the I&I Editorial Board