Talk takes time. A bullet takes a second.

From the moment I heard of Charlie Kirk’s murder, I knew what I wanted to write, and I knew it could only be written by me.

For 56 years I’ve debated people like Charlie Kirk. I’ve been called every name imaginable while on live TV, in front of City Council, and at nonviolent protests. I was once asked by a Philadelphia elected official if I “did it with parakeets.” I’ve been punched, spit on, and threatened with death — one letter from the KKK, saying that I’d been placed on their hit list, is now part of my collection at the Smithsonian. But through it all, I’ve never wavered on one truth: murder is never the answer. I despise violence, even when it’s directed at bigots.

Charlie Kirk was nasty, hateful, and skilled at manipulating conservatives and the media. He thrived on outrage. In