Two Murders Most Foul, Laden With Portents
In the past several days America has been transfixed by two murders. It may well be transformed by them.
If they are indeed transformative it is because they lay bare deep pathologies in the country. Pathologies plural. The two murders are very different, and thereby cast harsh light on very different pathologies.
The first murder is that of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska, who was butchered by a (literal) psychotic, Decarlo Brown. This murder tragically reveals multiple pathologies, a cancer that has spread deeply into the nation’s viscera.
Of course there is the taboo subject of black male criminality. I’ve written about this before, and many others have done so in the aftermath of Zarutska’s death. It’s not immaterial, but it’s not the main issue here except to the extent that intersects with other, deeper matters.
Instead, the primary issue is why a man who was a clear and present danger to the public, a man with 14 entries on his rap sheet, was free to ride the Charlotte light rail in the first place. And indeed, he is a man who is (as alluded to above) psychotic, and who had been recognized as such by his own mother and sister and law enforcement.
But not by the courts in Mecklenburg County, NC. And this is where the intersectionality (to steal a word from the left) comes in. Especially in the aftermath of George Floyd, but not only, incarceration or institutionalization of patently dangerous black men has been deemed to be itself a crime, an injustice. So if they are even arrested (something police are reluctant to do, knowing the likely ultimate outcome) they are routinely released to commit more mayhem–and murder.
The roots are deeper though, and are not primarily racial in nature. The roots go back to the de-institutionalization of the insane in the late-70s and early-80s. This was driven largely by false compassion and moral outrage, fueled by a movie (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). It was also predicated on a theory which has proven to be tragically false, but which has not been abandoned (and which is related to another current controversy). Namely, that psychotropic drugs rendered institutionalization unnecessary.
Even presuming the medications work (a dubious proposition), the theory requires the psychotic to take them. Which many don’t, for a variety of reasons–including notably their underlying mental illness.
It was crazy to think that crazy people would reliably take meds. But there we were, and here we are. As a stroll through any urban area will demonstrate.
This is arguably the greatest public policy error of the past half-century. Yet outside of Trump and a few others, few are willing to admit it and even contemplate whether a demonstrably false theory should be abandoned.
The policy was touted as compassionate, and those who opposed it demonized as cruel. Tell me how, exactly, this policy has been compassionate, even to the alleged beneficiaries of this compassion, let alone to the Iryna Zarutskas of the nation. It is the antithesis of compassion.
There are no easy solutions to hard problems. Handling the seriously mentally ill is a very hard problem. We were sold an easy solution. The salesmen were wrong. Yet they have long preened over their supposed moral superiority.
The second murder–assassination, actually–is of course that of Charlie Kirk. Like Zarutska’s, it reveals an ugly reality, but different ones (again plural).
To be honest, I only saw Charlie Kirk out of my extreme peripheral vision. This is almost certainly generational–I was not part of his main audience, which consisted (past tense, alas) of the college-aged, especially men. My main observation about him was that he obviously had a talent to trigger incandescent rage by many I despise.
And how right I was, and literally so. For some cowardly fuck pulled the trigger on him from a considerable distance at a rally at Utah Valley University yesterday.
My first thought was “trantifa.” And that conjecture has apparently been validated: the murder weapon was found with four 30-06 rounds with trans and “antifascist” slogans etched into the shell casings, a la Luigi Mangione.
The generational aspect could also explain why he had become such an object of hatred. He was incredibly successful at mobilizing the young, and the left views the young as its property. That made Kirk a particularly potent political threat to the left.
This murder is unbelievably horrific. The man had two small children, for crissakes. And yes, he was a deeply sincere Christian. He was passionate–something the left usually valorizes, when someone is passionate about leftist ideologies–but not violent. Indeed, in recent days he ironically warned against the rising tide of political violence in the US, noting that over 50 percent of Democrats support the assassination of Trump, and nearly that many the assassination of Elon Musk. His weapons were words: he was first and foremost a debater.
But the left views words as literal weapons: “Your speech is violence: my violence is speech.” Some twisted fuck acted out that slogan yesterday
As of the time of this writing, the cowardly fuck has not been apprehended, let alone received [] just reward. When [] is, I expect [] will be another Cluster B type. Another loser narcissist, like assassins before []–John Wilkes Booth, Charles Guiteau, etc. Someone who uses ideology to fill an emptiness of the soul, and whose inability to cope with the cognitive dissonance felt by a super special person who is a loser at life turns into rationalization for nihilistic violence.
A revelation common to the two murders is the mendacity of the media and the political class, especially on the left. Because it raised taboo issues the media studiously ignored Zarutska’s murder until videos of it went viral on social media. Forced to respond, it did so in its typical passive-aggressive way, bemoaning the fact that it had galvanized the right, rather than the horror of the murder. That was the real problem here, you see. A lunatic, released repeatedly by the state, butchering an innocent woman wasn’t.
I can’t even begin to express my disgust at the media response to Kirk’s assassination. The New York Times’ obituary is perhaps (and unsurprisingly) the acme of the genre. I will not link to it. If you want to find it, go ahead. Have a barf bag and blood pressure meds handy.
And that pales in comparison to the online vileness, which I also leave to you to discover, if you have the stomach for it.
The media reactions and online vileness are important because they clearly define the battle lines in America. For now, that expression is figurative, but a few more murders and it could well be literal.
They tell us who our enemies are. Fortunately, we are not prone to riot and violent resistance. But “not prone to” does not mean “absolutely incapable of.” The question is how far we are from that line. The events of the last weeks have pushed us closer.
As I wrote on X yesterday:
Who will step back? The initial indications are that those who should–the left–will not.
The thing that struck me about the Zarutska video was her seemingly complete lack of ‘situational awareness,’ which I attribute to her having grown up in Ukraine. Any normal white woman (i.e. not a completely woke lefty loon) who had grown up in this country would have known better than to ride public transportation wearing ear buds and absorbed in her smartphone, or to sit towards the end of the car with her back to Brown. Frankly, I wouldn’t live in Charlotte, or any other southern city with similar demographics, but if I had been in her situation and had to use public transportation, I would have scanned the car upon entering, chosen one of the seats facing the aisle (with your back to the side wall of the car instead of another seat/passenger), and preferably would have sat as close as possible to the few white passengers that the video showed to be riding in the car. Safety in numbers. Any organization that helps Ukrainian or similar refugees in this country should be obligated to inculcate some ‘street smarts’ into their clients, but my guess is that political correctness prevents this from happening.
Comment by koshmap — September 11, 2025 @ 12:20 pm
There is violence from the right. Prof could mention the Hortman double murder from earlier this year (they also had children). Doesn’t fit with the narrative I suppose.
Comment by [email protected] — September 11, 2025 @ 2:05 pm
@ libte Yup, that phrase is a pearler. I’m sure those Jan 6 “protesters” would only have given Pence and Pelosi a stern talking to, and they only mildly lynched that cop. And those calling for vengeance don’t mean it in the literal sense, do they?
I was even less aware of Kirk, but watching a few of his videos last night it did strike me that the manner of his debate was deliberately confrontational, designed to inflame both sides of the aisle and garner views on SM. Not making excuses by any stretch – there are commentators of the opposite persuasion (e.g. Medhi Hasan) who do likewise. I just think this style of discussion is unhelpful in this day & age, unnecessarily raising the temperature.
One video I did watch was a debate with some audience member about gun control at a similar gathering. What was interesting was Kirk’s insistence that ownership right was to protect the citizenry from the state (he referenced dictatorships of yore), and that any form of registration – something the audience member was advocating, specifically to prevent guns being owned by the wrong people e.g. those with psychiatric disorders, convicted felons etc – would directly undermine this right. Given the manner of his death, I wonder if others will continue to adhere to his view i.e. that the state remains the danger here? Also, I’m not sure when this video was recorded, but I wonder what Kirk thought about the presence of troops on the street, and the apparent descent of the US into autocracy?
Comment by David Mercer — September 12, 2025 @ 12:56 am
‘”I’m sure those Jan 6 “protesters”…’: you must have watched different coverage than me. I saw lots of people filing, peacefully, between two rope lines across an open room. I saw policemen inviting demonstrators into the Capitol. I saw a cop murder a woman who had undoubtedly overstepped the mark – you might even call her, just about, a rioter – but not remotely by a margin large enough to justify her murder. Naturally the cop got off with it.
I saw a little pilfering, and rather stagey at that. A broken window. And that was about the sum of the “insurrection”. Nothing of any consequence. Except for the murdered girl.
The idea that the whole event was an “insurrection” was essentially a lie, which was particularly ironic since the USA had just had multiple insurrections imposed on it by the thugs of BLM and antifa. Proper insurrections – shots fired, buildings torched, …
The insurrectionists who didn’t carry rifles or pistols or RPGs or Molotov cocktails or IEDs to Washington were not insurrectionists at all.
Comment by dearieme — September 12, 2025 @ 5:41 am
“Jacksonian America is slow to anger, but when pushed its fury is incandescent & burns everything that dares oppose it”
So the assassination of one political commentator is grounds to burn everything, BUT the assassination (or attempted) of two Democrat elected officials is NOT grounds for the same? C’mon Prof, I know you’re partisan, but this is clearly a ridiculous double-standard.
“he was a deeply sincere Christian”
I hadn’t heard of the guy before, but seeing some of his positions in the last few days, I see very little that Christ would have approved of…
“There are no easy solutions to hard problems. Handling the seriously mentally ill is a very hard problem. We were sold an easy solution. The salesmen were wrong. Yet they have long preened over their supposed moral superiority.”
Totally with you on that. In fact, I think that solving this hard problem would render the gun control debate moot…
Comment by HibernoFrog — September 12, 2025 @ 8:08 am
@libe@rs–Yes, 2 Dem legislators were killed and others were supposedly on the killer’s hit list. But the killer cannot in any way be pegged ideologically, although there have been concerted attempts to do so. His statements have been incoherent. He seems more a Decarlos Brown than an ideologically motivated killer.
And here’s the most definitive evidence that there is no clear tie to the right: the story disappeared from sight almost immediately. Yes, I know people like you were giddy with anticipation of learning of a link to MAGA. But it never developed, and so the story–like the legislators–died. Conversely, if there had been a link we would have been hearing about it constantly.
Try harder. Your inability to come up with something remotely similar to the 9/10 atrocity demonstrates the pronounced asymmetry in political violence.
Comment by cpirrong — September 12, 2025 @ 8:13 am
“the killer cannot in any way be pegged ideologically”
One could say the same of Kirk’s killer, what with how he hasn’t even been identified yet.
Oh but the shell casings… Information which comes from an administration who repeatedly and verifiably lies constantly. Or to use a frequent refrain of the American right, maybe it was a false-flag. Or just an attempt to hide his identity. We know nothing at this point – so if you’re calling for war based on nothing, then YOU are part of the problem you are complaining about.
Y’all (on the left and right) need to calm down over there… Find yourselves a nice Emmanuel Macron to vote for so you can all hate the government equally while some modestly sound policy can be made…
Comment by HibernoFrog — September 12, 2025 @ 8:31 am
@cpirrong “the killer cannot in any way be pegged ideologically” . Are you effing serious?
“Deeply religious and conservative”
“The man accused of assassinating the top Democrat in the Minnesota House held deeply religious and politically conservative views …”
Source: AP News — Friends say Minnesota shooting suspect was deeply religious and conservative
AP News
Anti-abortion sermon in Africa
“He served as an evangelical pastor … telling people he had first found Jesus as a teenager … ‘The churches are so messed up, they don’t know abortion is wrong in many churches,’ he said, according to an online recording of one sermon from February 2023.”
Source: AP News
AP News
Christian nationalism / charismatic Christianity ties
“Experts say that the suspect showed clear ties to forms of so-called charismatic Christianity that views abortion as a sacrifice to demons and seeks the end of secular democracy.”
“In one sermon … ‘There’s people, especially in America, they don’t know what sex they are … They’re confused … The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul.’”
Source: WIRED — The Minnesota Shooting Suspect’s Background Suggests Deep Ties to Christian Nationalism
WIRED
“Frustrated idealist” with big ideas / social concerns
“Boelter was preoccupied with societal problems and how he could fix them to serve the greater good … clearly very religious, very passionate …”
“Projects … detailed proposals that expressed frustration with what he saw as unjust suffering that needed to be stopped.”
Source: ABC News — Minnesota shooting suspect started as a frustrated idealist, his writings show
ABC News
From evangelical roots to more extreme / far-right Christian mindset
“He once said in a sermon that his religious awakening came when he was 17 … Over the next four decades … his religious worldview appeared to incorporate fringe theological ideas … Independent Charismatic Christianity … Christian Nationalism … experts tell WIRED that there are several links …”
Source: WIRED
WIRED
“Right-leaning politically but never fanatical”
“He was right-leaning politically but never fanatical, from what I saw, just strong beliefs.”
Source: AP News
AP News
Targets & list of political / ideological opponents
“Authorities found law enforcement-style gear and a list of targets in his SUV near the crime scene.”
“A list of nearly 70 people, including abortion rights advocates, Democratic politicians, and abortion providers.”
Source: Time / Reuters / News sources summarizing the indictment / criminal complaint
TIME
+2
Wikipedia
+2
Comment by [email protected] — September 12, 2025 @ 9:38 am
@deari Once again I’m not sure what footage you saw. You clearly missed the bit with the guy firing a pistol in the air, or the rioters brawling with the Virginia state troopers, or the cop (a vet at that) being set upon by the mob and having a mild heart attack as a consequence. I’ll find you a link so you can educate yourself.
Comment by David Mercer — September 12, 2025 @ 9:55 am
Jeez 22 years old. WTAF? I wonder how many hours a day he spent on his phone?
Comment by David Mercer — September 12, 2025 @ 9:56 am
@deari See ‘4 Hours at the Capitol’ on iPlayer. Trailer at http://youtube.com/watch?v=qlcdaAx5hu8
Comment by David Mercer — September 12, 2025 @ 11:05 am
@David Mercer. Literally minutes after I read the news of his assassination, I texted a friend: “‘This is what conservatives get for opposing gun control’ in 3, 2, 1.”
And that’s exactly what happened. You are way late. Raise your game.
I adhere to this view. There you go.
BTW, there is no indication whatsoever that any of these screens would have prevented the now arrested suspect, Robinson, from obtaining a weapon. Indeed, he appears to have received it illegally, as part of a conspiracy: someone left the weapon for him in a wooded area, concealed in a blanket. So no background check. Furthermore, the left’s hobby horse–assault weapons ban! we don’t want to eliminate hunting weapons!–would have done fuck all even if he had obtained the weapon legally. It was a garden variety bolt action hunting rifle.
In other words, the circumstances of his murder have absolutely zero overlap with the policies he discussed. The intersection is an empty set.
And also BTW, far more people are murdered with knives, a la Iryna Zarutska by Decarlos Brown, than are murdered by any long arm.
Yeah, I know the UK is going with knife control. How’s that working out?
As for the descent of the US into autocracy, you are delusional.
Comment by cpirrong — September 12, 2025 @ 11:33 am
And also BTW, far more people are murdered with knives, a la Iryna Zarutska by Decarlos Brown, than are murdered by any long arm.
Err, the FBI expanded homicide data states quite the opposite, unless you’re splitting hairs by referring specifically to rifles. Firearms account for the vast majority of homicides in the US – see: <a hef="https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8.xls#:~:text=Knives%20or%20cutting%20instruments"<FBI Expanded Homicide Data Table
So what do you suggest, if screens etc won’t stop incidents like this? I guess you’re all just going to have to learn to live with them.
You mention knife crime here in the UK. It really is small beer compared to US gun homicides per capita (c.5+ per 100K people in the US plays c.0.4 for the UK). This is particularly noteworthy given the ubiquity of anything which can be sharpened to a point. Why is that, do you think? Could it be that Brits are less predisposed to reach for a weapon in an argument etc, or only do so at a higher threshold than your average American?
As for all this Jacksonian guff:
Comment by David Mercer — September 12, 2025 @ 3:17 pm
@David Mercer. I meant long arms, obviously. I said “by any long arm.” Not splitting hairs. Especially since specific long arms (the wildly misnamed “assault rifles”) are the special focus of gun control efforts. Are you subliterate, or being deliberately obtuse. Don’t be an intellectually dishonest dipshit. I know it’s hard, but give it a try.
And you must be sub-literate if you don’t get the point about screens. Read what I wrote again. It’s OK if your lips move if that helps. I said that none of the screens you mentioned would apply to the weapon used to kill Kirk.
Comment by cpirrong — September 12, 2025 @ 4:58 pm
FFS then you’re comparing apples with oranges. It would have been effin’ astounding if Kirk had been killed at 100m+ with a knife. The data clearly shows firearms are preferred at any range down to reach range.
No-one knows at this point whether proposed gun controls could have prevented this shooting. Who knows, maybe whoever supplied the weapon could have been red flagged, or acquired it from an unlicensed seller? Time will tell. If they could have, then surely – now – they’re worth a look? If not, well, on you go.
For anyone interested, here’s the video I referred to earlier. Defo worth a watch:
https://youtu.be/n-X0YD0tYTw?si=eBSVCMd0Q6–EM1p
My hot take – Kirk was way too focussed on the ‘innate legal’ justification for ownership, whilst missing, or wilfully ignoring (for political reasons?), the wider societal risks associated with it. As I hinted above, the State isn’t the threat now, elements of the militia are. As his debater pointed out, if the State was the threat, you’d all be immensely outgunned.
Comment by David Mercer — September 13, 2025 @ 2:01 am
Now that we know more about the shooter, watch the magical transformation from ‘a far-left domestic terrorist’ to ‘a disturbed young man’. A sight to behold, that.
Comment by [email protected] — September 13, 2025 @ 5:52 am
Yes, I know people like Craig were giddy in anticipation of learning of a link to the left. But since it seemingly hasn’t developed, will this story, like Kirk, die too? Conversely, if there had been a link we would have been hearing about it constantly. These threads just write themselves some days.
The question now is will Trump et al now dial back the rhetoric, call for clemency in light of the assailant’s troubled past (the death sentence being reserved only for political opponents)?
Comment by David Mercer — September 13, 2025 @ 10:52 am
Thank you, Craig, for not banning the clowns in the comments. Excellent illustration and a litmus test of the contortions of commie minds.
But…oh, how predictable and unoriginal.
Since bleating of link to the let that “hasn’t developed” now there is so much, FBI is probing the whole discord group of trans-furries who 2d before the event were giddy in anticipation, the question is – will lib/mer hyenas “dial back the rhetoric”?
Hah, having a cake into their faces doesn’t embarrass them – they just change tack, put their nose to the wind from their party masters and screech ahead.
Comment by Tatyana — September 14, 2025 @ 3:02 pm
aha the most cuckoo of all has joined the chat! Tell me, dear Tatyana, what specifically did you take offense with?
Comment by [email protected] — September 15, 2025 @ 10:52 am
Could someone translate Tat’s comments into English please?
Comment by David Mercer — September 18, 2025 @ 5:37 am