Refusing to be silenced is how we honor Charlie Kirk (09-11-2025--Hour2)

What's going on. Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, my daily show prep with all of the links, become a patron, go to dpeteclendershow dot com. Make sure you hit the subscribe button. Get every episode for free right to your smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so much for your support. I want to read real quick. I'm going to get back to your calls here. I got a bunch of people on the line. We have a lot of text messages, and there's a lot of anger and there's a lot of grief today after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a radio host, founder of Turning Point USA, who would go on to college campuses to have discussions and debates with people because he believed that talking is the way you prevent violence, because without talking through our issues and disagreements, then all that's left is violence. And if that's what's left, then we have no country. And for that he was murdered because that's where they murdered him. Constantin Kissin is the host of one of the hosts of Triggernometry. It's a podcast highly recommended, and he wrote that I hope I'm wrong, but tonight feels like some sort of invisible line has been crossed that we didn't even know was there. The last time I felt like this was nine to eleven, when it was clear, without knowing the how and the what, that the world was about to change forever, like the rules of the game had been permanently altered and there were simply no going back to the innocent, peaceful past. I didn't feel like this when an attempt was made on President Trump's life. If I had to rationalize why I didn't, I guess it's because several US presidents have been shot at and even assassinated. Somehow, it was within the realms of the possible, no matter how awful. But to murder a young father simply for doing debates and mobilizing young people to vote for a party that represents half of America, well that's something else. Charlie's death is a tragedy for his wife, his family, and his children. I don't pray often. I am praying for them tonight, but I fear his murder will be a tragedy for all of us in ways we will only understand as time unfolds. I hope I'm wrong, and I was asked to give the quote again. It was from Andrew Walker, ethics and public theology professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who said, political violence is the refuge of a losing political movement that cannot make good arguments or persuade naturally, so they. Resort to power raw power. To quote win, but their manner of victory is actually an admission of defeat that the ideas themselves cannot win. Charlie Kirk was the antithesis of this loser mentality, a happy warrior, persuasive, daring, and fearless. Let me go back now, hang on a second to do and pull this up here. Going back to the phone lines, I shall speak with Richard. Hello, Richard, welcome to the show. Hey, how you doing all right? First of all, I'm an African American and I just want to you know, Chris kind of makes me sad, but I just want to tell Chris you know, as conservatives, we love you man. And the fact that Charlie Kirk was about the constitution of the Declaration of Independence and freedom the problem unfortunately for a lot of African AMers. He told me he was minord. I'm gonna assume he's Black. African Americans stole mine. Chris is a free man, but his mind is in bonded and the Democratic Party has taken full advantage of the historical pain of Black people to manipulate them and to keep themselves in power. And unfortunately, people like Chris free your mind, don't be close minded because all of his assertions are based on emotion and past historical pain. And this is what the Democrats historically since LBJ have been taking advantage of the Black community so they can maintain power. That wasn't my original foot but I had to get that out as a black man. What was so? What was your what was your original thought to And I think we I mean, look, I agree with you, and I agree with your assessment, and I think Chris's inability to formulate the argument when asked like, what is your evidence of this marginalization, and he literally had no answer for it. He has just been taught a script to follow, and people in that left wing echo chamber, they they just have these scripts. They don't they don't. They don't examine, they don't do deep dives and really try to formulate the why they believe what they believe. It's just it's just the. What I believe that this is how Germany destroyed themselves because they were just following instead of opening their minds, and next thing you know, they're following with guys saying how Hitler. So my original point was the fact that why weren't there any drones up in the air, because after a Butler, you would think that this would be the standard op orational procedure when you have an open area, open air event with a high profile client, you have to have security in the air, because we just saw. What happened in Butler. Yeah, so I'm sorry, I'm not a security expert on retired law enforcement, but some of this stuff is common sense. Yeah, I think there. I think the school had some personnel there, but like maybe a half a dozen. I want to say, Charlie Kirk had a security team as well. I think there was like four or five members there. So that was the entire security footprint, it seemed for this event. And this doesn't seem adequate with the amount of people in the amount of space and the amount of buildings. That somebody could take a shot at you. Now, you know, listen, I'm not part of their security team the university, but I don't care whether it's Taylor Swift or Jalo whoever. You better get a drone up there, because somebody may take a shot at somebody. Yeah, no, I think that's a I think that's a fair point, Richard. I appreciate the call, sir, thanks for making it, Thanks for hanging on all right, take care. I think I think Richard's right. I think that there's going to be a reassessment and re examination of all security protocols for all events of that nature that are that, as he said, high profile figure the size of the crowd, and to simply rely on a college campus security force to plan and protect. I think people are going to be disabused of the of the current protocol as it stands. Next up here, let me go to I think this is Kevin Welcome to the show. Hey Kevin, Hey there sad sad day to day. Yeah. My point was, like on Charlie Kurt, he is. The couple of callers ago. Apparently that fellow didn't was a name, Chris, I think. Yeah, he clearly hadn't looked at any of Charlie's videos because he was you know that Charlie defended the minorities. It was it was amazing how how much he like was brought out before he would let people speak. And that was the big thing with Charlie his he continued his dialogues. If we we don't continue dialogue, unfortunately, what it's going to do, we're letting his death be in vain. I mean, he he died for his cause, and it's if we continue the dialogue, we honor him. You know what I'm saying. I do, Yeah, I do. I agree. I don't think the answer is to retreat back into silence or something and to be cowed. Yeah. Another thing is what I was thinking was we're not You're not ever going to convince someone who's far left to change anything. But some of these events can really reach people's hearts that are maybe in the middle. I think that's key. So responding was you quoted earlier in the scripture that is keep conquering evil with the good. That's so critical. I mean, I would put Charlie up there with Martin Luther King JFK. They were revolutionaries, but revolutionaries not with violence, with words and reached people's hearts. So yeah, that was just my comment. All right, Kevin, I appreciate it. Thanks for calling in. All right, take care. Here's the thing that I think a lot of people on the left are not realizing either, is that you've now martyred Charlie Kirk, and you have given young people a red pill. The size of the empire state building like you have radicalized a lot of people. They feel like their friend was just murdered. So when I was a kid, my grandpa died with Alzheimer's, and before he died, my mom and my dad took care of him as he got worse. Forty years ago, there were no treatments and not much support for caregivers and family. 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You can go to alz dot org slash walk for all the dates and locations. We're closer than ever to stopping Alzheimer's. Can you help us get there? Will you walk with me? For a different future, for families, for more time for treatments. This is why we walk. Uh, let's go on to the back to the phones. Here. Oh look, it's my old friend Shawn. Hello, Sean, welcome to the program. Get afternoon, man. You're happy today. I'm not happy for nobody, Okay, but let me get since you made that appointment, since you made that look on his look on his our pod one time one day he made that statement himself. Somebody trust him. You look at you look on his his his podcast, somebody asked him should somebody gets shot? And his comment was it people. Still get shot. He didn't say that. What he said now, that's not what he says. He was at. The question was about the trade off of Second Amendment rights for zero gun deaths and his and what his response was that that is unfortunately one of the prices that we pay. Well well for him to say that, that's that's not good way to say. So he what do you mean that's not that? That is because this is here's the thing, No, Sean, here's the thing, Like if you're like the premise of and this is the debate that's happening now among people on the left, they're saying, oh, gun control, gun control, And honestly, it's a terrible argument right now today because I am not going to give up my guns when people are trying to kill me for my political beliefs. Okay, So it's not a winning argument on that front. And that was what that's what his point was was because it is the evil in the people, and so you cannot take up all of the firearms. If you attempt to take them all, then evil people still will be able to get some, and then you are at their mercy. So you need to be able to defend yourself. And and unfortunately, there will always be evil. So therefore there will always be people who use firearms to murder others. But the answer is not to give up the guns. Unfortunate that's happened to him. So let me make Mama comedy. Another reason I didn't know the person Gorid. I didn't even look at that part to that everybody sought did another thing he had? What So how do you know? So can I ask you? I'll let you answer your question. But how do you know what he what his positions were? If you didn't know of the guy until. Because I looked I looked on his applot, I'm giving you another position. What he said about first Lady Michelle Obama, he the first lay the first action Supreme Justice. He said they got they got their way because the Firman action. He didn't even finish college, so he didn't even make a comment. He didn't finish college. Are you gonna comment about somebody in the first lady, do you. Think finishing college? Do you think do you think finishing college is an indication of one's intelligence. That's not I'm not saying that. Okay made that comment. I wouldn't have made that comment. I wouldn't Okay, So how does the how does the how does the fact that he and by the way, he didn't go to college because he was building Turning Point USA. He decided at the time he had a choice, do I go to college and then put all of this Turning Point USA stuff onto the shelf and not pursue it, or does he focus on building the business? And the advice that he got was, hey, you can always go back to college, but you're you've got something right now that you're building, so keep building that. So it wasn't that he was stupid and he couldn't get into college. I'm Sean. I didn't say you, Sean. I did not say you said that. I was pointing out that was the reason why he opted not to go to college was because he was building Turning Point. Where he was going to all of these I got one more comment when he was going on. What is but hang on, Sean, what does what does his not going to college have to do with his comments about Michelle Obama? Because you're telling you, you're talking to an African American person saying that the first lady Daha Rod and to Nail Jackson got it right, called the permanent accent. And you know the reason why from Ashton was there to all your white people? Know why from Action was there? Were you explained to your white folks? Then okay, white Sean, Sean, at the risk of at the risk of projecting upon every single white person a similar understanding of all things, because that would be racist. I'm sure what you mean to say, most like. They don't understand a permanent accent. Oh no, they do. No. The audience in the audience of talk radio generally speaking present company, notwithstanding, they understand what affirmative action was originally designed to do. And we also know and sewn and we also understand what it became. And the charge the allegation of affirmative action hiring for Katanji Brown Jackson was based on what Joe Biden said. Well, well you you, but do you want to put somebody in regaldless to what he said, you want to put African Americania. It could be whatever, but that's the person he chose. It could have been a Korean person, but at that particular time, that's what he's thought. And then my last boy, no, no, no, hang on, no, I'm not going to let you move off of this. I'm hang on, I'm not going to let you move off this so soon. Right, So, the the fact that Joe Biden said, I promised to appoint a black female to the Supreme Court? Do you believe that that is Do you believe that that is essential? Do you believe that that is setting a racial quota? If she was satisfied? Know why he put that in there? Should said a female? If he was, maybe he put that in there. But but why then set why. Set the quota? Why make the promise? I canna read his mind. You gotta ask no, you know why? Come on, Sean, you know why a politician would say that, a Democrat would say that. You know why? You know why? Do you know why he put the other three on that down? You know reason why Donald Trump put the other three on there that he got on there? Now? Right? Yeah? You know? Yeah? Because okay, then we both agree and then my last one. Wait, wait, we both agree about. What about the reason why he got this three on there and the one that he suggested that should be on there. Well you haven't said, well, you haven't said why you believe Trump made the appointment hemate, So what why do you think? Then? Well, the three that whatever he uh that he he want to approve. But like what's going on there? Everything he runs up there to the Supreme Court, it's always leaning to it and not all of the majority of it. And that's bad for the country, you. Know, right, So he appointed people based on a judicial philosophy. No, that's what they're determining. Oh, that's exactly what they're Well, they determined it based on their judicial philosophy, Sean. So yes, he appointed people based on their judicial philosophy, and that that philosophy was recommended to him by the Federalist Society folks. So because they vet all of these candidates and such and they rank them and say, these people are originalists in their judicial philosophy, and so that's why he picked it. But he didn't pick them based on race. No, I know, so, but that's the difference. No, No, I know, you did it, Sean. But I'm saying he didn't do it for that. He didn't do it for He did not set up a racial hiring quota for his picks. He did it based on what they think about things. And that is not what Joe Biden did. Joe Biden said, I'm picking a black woman. That's who I'm going to be picking. Vote for me, and that was the promise. That's why he said it, and it helped to win the election for him, And that's why Charlie Kirk called it an affirmative action higher because that's what it looks like. Game on Week one starts now, and every touchdown brings you closer to a payout. With Draft Kings sports book and official sports betting partner of the NFL, this isn't just football, it's first touchdown fireworks anytime. TD rushes live bets that ride every momentum shift. At DraftKings, every play is your next shot to win. Will the Panthers win? Will we even get a touchdown? New customers bet just five dollars and get three hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly, plus get over two hundred dollars off NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV, so your season starts now. 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Digital games and commercial use excluded restrictions apply additional NFL Sunday Ticket terms or at YouTube dot com slash go slash NFL Sunday Tickets slash terms Limited timeoffer. Brian, Welcome to the show. Hello Brian, Hey, how you doing me? I'm good? Am I on your speakerphone again? U? Yeah, yeah, this is always the case with you, Brian. Come on. Oh, I'm sorry about that. That's all right, drift so no, I got you. But but yeah, I wanted to find out why they're using these terms like a fascinate and a political murder. For this young man, which is tragic. You know, he's a young man of course and had a young family, so it's tragic all the way around. But this wasn't a political figure. He didn't hold office or anything, did he. Uh no, he did not hold office. But do you think he's not a political figure? No? No, I don't you know. He's not hold he's not holding office. He ran for any Well that's that would hang on, that would be a that would be a politician. He's not a politician. No, no, No. What I'm saying is that, well, politicians are political correct. Yes, but but political figures are not necessarily politicians. Okay, so every murder can be political, then INVESTI case. Not if they weren't involved, Not if they weren't involved in politics. I'm sorry, not if they weren't involved in politics. He led, he led Turning Point Us and Ryan Bryan he led, he led Turning Point Us A which was a mobilization organization for young voters. What is what is that a conservative outfit or something? I never said, yes that what guy is? Okay? Yeah, so so so therefore that's a white ring, I mean, a right wing kind of an organization that he was leading or something like that. But listen, basically what it boils down to. Was white and white crime. That's that's basically what. It all was down How do you know the shooter was white? Well, you know what, that is a good question that that is that is an assumption because of the on the Utah campus, I'm pretty much and the guy just they said that the guy and your youth cat was saying that the guy kind of escaped in the crowd from the black man out there with all those white folks. Somebody would have seen it. Somebody would have seen it. So is it then assumption on my part? It definitely is an assumption on your I don't know what the race of the shooter is, but you or your your complaint, your complaint, it seems sort of like you want to minimize this by calling it just a white on white crime or something. Why would you, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, or it seems like you're trying to minimize it. No, that's how you just took it. That's just the fact. That is how I took it. That's why I'm asking if that's how you intended it. No, no, no, no, no, I didn't. I know. I'm just stating, like a statistic is a fact. I mean, why don't white crime happens all the time? It's just not publicized in the news media right as suck. No, I mean white, white on white crime. If it's a crime story, it moves in the media. There's no doubt about that. And most most crime occurs white on white, black on black, Hispanic on Hispanic. That's the vast majority of crime. It's all intraracial crime. Right right, right, So why why there's a lot of guys out here that are murdered that are Hispanic black whatever? You know what I'm saying, And they got political views. They talk about that political views on social. Media and everything else. But they're not computed the political. Murders, right because they're not leading. They're not leading the largest uh youth mobilization effort in America. They're not doing political rallies, they're not doing campaign rallies, they're not appearing with politicians. I don't so again, like Bran, I'm trying to understand, like what the purpose of the call, Like if you're taking you're taking issue with the use of the term assassination, the word assassination. I mean, no, I'm talking about political murder. It's like it's like that. I mean that not to be disparaging or not. But but the guy wasn't He's not John F. Kennedy, you know, he's not Martin Luther King, He's not uh, you know, any. Of those those term of type of people. He's he's leading the organization, a white wing organization, uh that goes on campus and speaking and so. But but to call it a political murder, you. Know it is. I don't know that that's over the top. Why did so what? Why but why does this why does this motivate you to call a radio show to complain about the use of the term a political murder, which I don't think I've actually used the term. I called it an assassination. So I'm not sure who's using the term political murder really, I mean. Because it's like those terms you know people use terms. Now that uh that uh that are terms that are ship for different. Occasions or for specific occasions, but now people just stew them all over the place. Right, So you don't like the fact that the term assassination is used to describe the murder of Martin Luther King Junior, a private citizen who was engaged in political activity, And you don't like the use of that term being used for for Charlie Kirk. Yeah, yeah, yeah, to bet not politicians. Neither was King at all. Neither was neither was doctor King. You have you listen, you have political use and you have a platform, right, uh huh right, so somebody so so so somebody would come at God forbid uh to take your life or what have you? Would you would you would. You think that will get political murder. A political So like you're you're first off, Sean, you're using you're using a term political murder. The term that I have not heard anybody use until you just called in and used it. Okay, I don't know what political murder is. Now this is this is this has been called an assassination, a political assassination. That's that's been what's said on w b D all day to day. Okay, I have not heard it. I've been listening. I haven't heard the term. But I don't understand why. I don't understand why this is the thing that's tripping your trigger. Why are you so upset? Because if somebody showed up right now on scene where I am and killed me for being who I am and doing what I do and saying what I say, then yes I would fall into that same category. Sean. Yeah, but but listen, I want to you want to know. What an assassination is. I'm going to give you the definition real quick. It is the Okay, tell all right, what is it? Tell me? Assassination is that the murder of uh someone over political, political views or political stances or religious No? No, no, it's not an assassination, Sean. An assassination is quote the murder of a public figure by surprise attack. Yeah, but guess based on politics. Or that's why people put the term political assassination because it was politically motivated, politically driven. There's no other reason, No, Sean, there is no other reason. There is no other reason to go to that campus. Lay in wait, do you understand? Do you know? Do you know what the circumstances are, what they've read? No? No, I do I know some of the details. Now I know, Sean, I do know some of the details. Sean, you do not, So do you are you aware of? Okay? Sean? All right, you're you're you're getting to be a bit hysterical and just screaming and shouting as you normally do. Oh, I'm sorry, that's Brian. You're getting a bit hysterical and you're shouting and screaming because I think you don't want me to make the point that you know I'm about to make, which is that you don't go to a venue like the venue we saw at the college campus for a free speech debate hosted by Charlie Kirk, who is known for these events, specifically for these events, And you don't climb on top of a building, procure yourself a bolt action rifle, car of a bunch of anti fascism slogans and transgender slogans into the AMMO. Shoot the man as he's taken a question about transgenderism, murder him and then escape. That is an assassination. There is no other reason to do that but for his public figure stature, which is based on his politics. That's why he's famous. That's it. That's why he's famous. So you can try, like I would recommend Brian that you try to figure out a better argument to channel right now, because that argument is probably the dumbest one I've heard. 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Right, you got to check out Incentive trip Kit for your business. Visit incentive tripkit dot com because great trips deserve even better returns A message from Kevin who says, Pete, your debate skills are so badass you couldn't pay me to debate you on air. Love your show, Have a great day. Thank you, Kevin, I appreciate it. Brian says Chris Caller Chris from Last Hour just another leftist that screams victim and points fingers. He kept s saying taken away his rights. And Charlie Kirk would always ask in his debates, what can't a black person do that I can do? And no one ever had an answer. Chris's argument is that if your feelings are hurt and you feel that you're marginalized, then I guess it's okay and understandable. If somebody snaps and kills someone who disagrees with him. This is the dumbest logic and quite frankly, what has gotten our country into the mess that we're in right now. It is the same when the mayor of Charlotte comes out and tries to be understanding of a crazy man murdering a person on the light rail because he's got a mental problem, as if, okay, do you have a mental problem, Well, it's understandable if you killed somebody. We must understand that you feel marginalized and it's our fault. We failed you because you have a mental issue. We need to do away with leaders with this type of logic. JT says, with all due respect, I disagree, Pete. Chris and his kind don't really believe they're part of the problem. They're not part of the problem. Their express intent is to be a problem. And Alice says, ain't it something the side that wants to ban guns shoot the Second Amendment? Folks, Yes, I have noticed that as well. Ray, welcome to the show. Hey, Ray, I have about a minute. Okay, I'll make it quick. I won't repeat what's already been said everything I can think of about commenting about Chris, but I will answer his question that he asks is what this country has done for him? And I would say two things in eighteen middle eighteen sixties, over half a million of mostly what people died for his rights and the Emancipation Proclamation. No, that's a fair point, Ray, I appreciate the call. It's true too. Yeah, it's amazing how how far a little bit of gratitude goes in your personal life, you know, and when you try to step back and look at things in a more nuanced and recognizing the complexities and the different time periods that people were in there. Yeah, I'm not going to litigate the issue of slavery. It's just pointless right now. But yeah, there are people that just perceive themselves as victims all the time, and that is where they will remain. All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I could not do the show without your support and the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast, so if you'd like, please support them too and tell them you heard it here. You can also become a patron at my Patreon page or go to thepetecleanershow dot com. Again, thank you so much for listening, and don't break anything while I'm gone,