Campus Divide: Liberal Art Students React to Kirk’s Assassination

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Campus Divide: Liberal Art Students React to Kirk’s Assassination

Interviewers visit Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to gauge student reactions to Charlie Kirk’s assassination, revealing disturbing attitudes toward political violence and diminishing freedom of expression on campus.

Categories: Free Thinking
September 28, 2025

Introduction

“Savannah and I are here today at Pratt Institute, one of the most hopefully pro-freedom of speech and pro-freedom of expression places in the country. This is an Ivy League art school in Brooklyn, New York. And we are going to see what these students, if they’re being indoctrinated or not. We’re going to see what they have to think about the whole Charlie Kirk situation and political violence and the culture war.”

Celebrating Political Violence

The interviewers begin by asking students about Charlie Kirk’s assassination:

“What do you think about people that are celebrating the death of someone that was just speaking his mind, Charlie Kirk?”

“I’m glad that he died because he don’t give a [expletive] about me,” one student responds.

When asked directly, “You think he should have been murdered because he disagrees with you?” the student replies, “I don’t think he should have been murdered, but I feel like… I’m not mad that he was.”

Another student, when asked if Kirk’s murder was justified, simply answers, “Yeah” and then “Yes.”

One student attempts to explain this perspective: “It’s getting to a point now where it’s like debates can’t even happen. People who are right-wing or anything like that, they will find any way to not get their… they won’t meet anybody else in the conversation. It has to be like the way that they think.”

Moral Relativism and Justifications

Some students try to contextualize their reactions while still appearing to justify the violence:

“So many queer people, people of color have been killed and it’s not on the news. There’s a lot of factors that if you check all these boxes, you being murdered as a person is not going to even get in the newspaper. You’re less than, essentially.”

Another student claims: “He’s still indirectly supporting Trump and Trump doesn’t like every type of person. He’s trying to bring back slavery.”

When challenged on this claim, the student doubles down: “He doesn’t like black people. They’re trying to make laws for segregation again.”

The interviewer responds: “He doesn’t like black people, but he invited me to the White House back in May. I went to the White House. Why would he invite me to the White House?”

Finding Out vs. Consequences

Some students express a troubling “find out” philosophy toward political violence:

“You know, it’s like, [expletive] around and find out,” one student says.

When challenged about the implications of this logic, the student maintains, “It’s not different. Everything has consequences.”

The interviewer presses: “How would you know where the line is drawn?”

Another interviewer adds: “Everybody should feel offended because if they can kill him, they can kill me, they can kill you, they can kill her, they can kill him, they can kill everybody.”

International Perspective on Freedom

Students from other countries offer a particularly valuable perspective:

“Do you think somebody should be silenced for their political opinions?” an interviewer asks a student from China.

“I think in American people can talk very free. I’m afraid. I don’t know. We’re living in a country now that you could get killed if you say what you believe in,” the student responds.

“That’s shouldn’t be afraid. That’s the point we’re trying to make, right?” the interviewer replies.

“And I think in America is fine, but in China is that definitely we cannot say anything about the government,” the Chinese student explains.

An older woman adds her perspective: “It’s kind of scary. I grew up in a country where you couldn’t speak your mind… And Hitler in Germany and he just spoke quietly at home about things we didn’t like.”

When asked if it’s concerning that America might be going down a similar path, she responds: “Yes. Yes. Yes. Everything has changed.”

The Changing Culture of Art Schools

The interviewer reflects on how things have changed at art schools:

“I went to this school 20 years ago, right? Almost 20 years ago, 15 years ago, whatever it is. We were all about pro-freedom of expression, freedom of speech. There were people of every different race, nationality, religions that went here. And now whenever I go onto any college campus, most of them I would say across the country, I literally fear.”

One student acknowledges: “For people that disagree with you, like you probably don’t feel super comfortable saying what you feel.”

The interviewer responds: “You’re at an art school and you feel like you’re afraid to say what you really think. Isn’t that a problem?”

“It is a big problem,” the student agrees.

Finding Common Ground

By the end of some conversations, a few students show a shift in perspective:

“I wouldn’t be [happy if you died]. How could you say that about Charlie?” the interviewer asks.

“Because it’s the internet and I don’t know him and people make memes and it’s funny,” a student replies.

The interviewer explains: “We are literally in a way forcing people to rehumanize us… Cuz 5 minutes ago you were all [against] Charlie and now you’re like wait a second, like that’s actually not a good idea, right? And it took all of 5 minutes to get there, which is insane.”

The student concedes: “I guess so.”

Conclusion

The interviewers reflect on their experience:

“We had a lot of amazing conversations today. Was surprised honestly that a few of them… not everybody on the left is just like, ‘Yeah, you should have died.’ And we also saw that a lot of that is true and that is really scary. And I want you to know that this isn’t just New York City. This is your neighbor. This is somebody that you go to church with.”

“I also think it makes a lot of sense that we have to hire a security guard like Mario, who’s amazing, by the way. We have to hire him when we go to these usual left-wing campuses and stuff like that. But if I were to go to like the RNC, I feel like I wouldn’t need to hire somebody.”

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