video: Why Words Kill: The Dangerous Dance of Political Rhetoric and Violence

I recently posted a meme on Facebook—yep, I’m that guy—titled “Number of Days Democrats Haven’t Killed Someone: 0.” A friend slid into my DMs, calling it hyperbolic, saying I was stirring up hatred against “normal, everyday Democrats,” and suggestedI take it down
I considered his reasoning, But then I scrolled through X, peeked at BlueSky, and—oh boy—even checked TikTok, where people are literally dancing to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s murder. Dancing! I mean, I get it, TikTok’s for trends, but a “Yay, Assassination!” dance routine? That’s a new low, even for the algorithm.

This isn’t just 25 people ugly miserable Antifa members chanting in Portland’s drizzle. This is widespread—people on my own Facebook feed, your cousin’s weird uncle on Twitter, and don’t get me started on the echo chambers of BlueSky.

Thousands, from regular Joes to folks in power, are either cheering or staying eerily quiet about a cold-blooded killing. Why? Because Charlie Kirk had different views.

So, what’s fueling this? Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—or rather, the donkey. Mainstream Democratic politicians are playing a dangerous game, and it’s not Monopoly. They’re tossing around labels like “fascist,” “Nazi,” and “Hitler 2.0” like they’re handing out candy at a parade. It’s not just name-calling; it’s a playbook. They don’t say, “Go shoot that guy,” because that’s too obvious. Instead, they crank up the rhetoric, painting their opponents as existential threats. And guess what? Some impressionable soul, marinating in this word soup, picks up a gun and decides to “fight evil.” It’s called stochastic terrorism—inciting violence without directly calling for it.

This isn’t a new trick. It’s the illusory truth effect—say something loud enough, long enough, and people start believing it’s gospel. Joseph Goebbels would’ve given it a chef’s kiss. Call someone a fascist enough times, and suddenly, they’re not just a guy with a podcast—they’re the second coming of a dictator. Even after Donald Trump got shot at—twice—the rhetoric didn’t cool down. They kept screaming “fascist!” while clutching their pearls and claiming, “Who, me? I didn’t pull the trigger!” Plausible deniability is their superpower.

Now, let’s talk about Luigi Mangione, the guy who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. To some on the left, he’s not a murderer—he’s a folk hero, Robin Hood with a rifle. And why? Because big names like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, Kathy Hochul, and Hakeem Jeffries didn’t say a peep to condemn it.

Not one tweet, not one press conference. Silence isn’t just golden here; it’s deafening. Are they giving tacit approval, or are they just too scared to upset their voter base, who’s busy lionizing a cold blooded murderer? Either way, it’s a choice, and it’s a loud one.

This brings me to Charlie Kirk. His murder hit like a freight train because anyone who listened to him—really listened—knew he was a good man. Someone who believed in what he said and tried to make a difference. Yet, across social media, people are popping champagne. A leftist youth group in Germany even posted on Instagram, telling Charlie to “rot in hell.” Classy, right? It’s like they’re auditioning for the villain in a dystopian movie.

Here’s the kicker: you can’t keep screaming “Nazi!” at your opponents without expecting someone to take it literally. Words aren’t just words—they’re weapons. When you demonize someone as the ultimate evil, you’re not just debating; you’re setting the stage for tragedy. And when society fractures to the point where people cheer a murder because they’ve been psyoped by evil doers into believing they are “fighting fascism,” then you have successfully destroyed a country.

Misery loves company, and right now, it’s throwing one hell of a party.

So, to my friend who called my meme hyperbolic: maybe, But when I see people dancing on graves and politicians staying silent, and trying to bite sides it and implying that he had it coming, I’m not sure it’s the meme that’s the problem.

It’s the psyop we’re all stuck in, where truth gets drowned out by propaganda, and good people pay the price. Let’s stop the dance, call out the rhetoric, and maybe—just maybe—start talking like humans again.