If I had to play Kiss, Marry, Kill with Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder and Charlie Kirk, I’d choose to stay unborn. But even then, these wannabe men would probably insist life begins at nonbeing, and I’d be forced to see the situation through.
Shapiro’s insistence that “facts don’t care about your feelings” paints him as smug and sententious. Crowder’s tendency to mock vulnerable communities under the guise of “free speech” doesn’t make him much better, and when Kirk said he’d make his hypothetical 10-year-old daughter carry a pregnancy to term if she were raped, I realized he and I wouldn’t get along too well.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, I guess, but it frustrates me when people like this act as though they have the moral authority to set up on college campuses and pontificate their offensive views.
A couple weeks ago, Kirk and failed politician Vivek Ramaswamy made an appearance at UNC as part of their “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour,” organized by Turning Point USA, a group Kirk founded. The event included a Q&A section, reminiscent of Crowder’s "(I’m a useless member of society), change my mind” tabling stunts, where provocative ideas were hotly pitched with little room for nuanced discussion.
To right-wing provocateurs, college campuses are the ideal battleground. Students are often in the early stages of political understanding, eager to defend their views and passionate about the causes they support, making them particularly vulnerable to the bait of political instigators. And ultimately, liberals and leftists on these college campuses hand Kirk and his goons exactly what they’re after.
When people get angry, it plays right into their hands — through viral videos captioned with “screaming liberal owned,” they attract more people to their side by appearing composed and intelligent, while the person they provoke ends up looking foolish. This manipulative strategy not only boosts credibility among supporters but also amplifies divisions, reinforcing a political clash that feels impossible to bridge.
While it feels as though few people today maintain an open mind, individuals like Shapiro or Kirk only intensify the divides within our already polarized society. It’s not that stubborn leftists don’t contribute to the right’s frustration — they do — but at least defending women’s rights and advocating for an opportunity economy doesn’t require sacrificing empathy or common sense.
And they know people feel this way. When Crowder sets up his “Change My Mind” table or Shapiro’s Daily Wire clips go viral with jabs at liberals, it’s less about fostering dialogue and more about stoking reactions. They know that their tactics will rile people up. That’s part of the point.
This isn't just about ideological battles; in fact, these arguments benefit their cause. Kirk’s TPUSA isn’t just some grassroots student movement. It’s funded by wealthy interests who thrive on division and inequality.
