“Members of Charlie Kirk’s organization spent two years aggressively stalking me, harassing and threatening me and my family, spreading lies about me, wasting my time and energy with a bogus lawsuit, attempting to end my academic career, and attempting to incite violence against me. They did similar things to hundreds of other academics who they saw as easy targets or obstructions to far-right goals. Kirk was not simply a guy with different views who liked to debate. He actively worked to try to destroy the lives of people like me. He lied to donors to keep the money flowing to his organization and he filled its leadership ranks with racists, misogynists, Islamophobes, and anti-LGBTQ extremists. He encouraged his young and impressionable followers to be cruel to vulnerable people. He taught young people that empathy is weakness and that laughing at people facing hardship and exclusion is cool. He treated the young murderer Kyle Rittenhouse as a hero and a celebrity that other young people should emulate. He supported racial profiling and the persecution of working-class migrants. He raised money for and publicized the most fascistic politicians pushing the most authoritarian policies. He added nothing of value to society. The world is worse for having had him in it.” - an academic targeted by Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA.
