In his latest book, Lions & Scavengers, Ben Shapiro’s general thesis is that the people of the world can be placed into one of two groups: Lions and Scavengers. Conveying this theory using shorthand, Lions align with the typical American Thinker reader; they revel in the spirit of productivity, of creation, of success, of responsibility, of moral duty. Lions have merciful hearts. They have a healthy respect for tradition but are also great innovators. Scavengers, by contrast, are too angry and envious to be innovative. They are eternally revolting against nature, against authority, against the norms that make healthy civilizations function. Scavengers are filled with fury for their “oppressors” (typically Lions), whom they blame for their endless and all too predictable suffering. Scavengers are alienated, frustrated, and vengeful. Unsurprisingly, their hate-filled vitriol becomes a breeding zone for violence.
Shapiro’s book was seemingly born in an instant of time — mere weeks after the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel — when he was visiting London and witnessed massive marches in support of the terror group Hamas. From that disturbing experience, he constructed a book offering new ways to reckon with the political and cultural divisions we see today. The West, he argues, is in mortal danger. Many of its bastions and bulwarks have already fallen, or — in the case of the United Kingdom — have been surrendered to the mob.
Shapiro’s warnings won’t surprise regular visitors to this site, where concern for the West’s demise and examples of the left’s brutish, antisocial behavior are frequently highlighted. But his novel terminology and its underlying simplicity provide a fresh, insightful viewpoint, making the book worthy of consideration.
On Page 8 of the Introduction, Shapiro writes,
If the Lions fail their children, their own children join the Scavengers. Unmoored from a civilization their parents refuse to defend, they become rabid, and go in search of revenge on those who left them adrift. They lead a rebellion of privilege: Bred into unearned prosperity, but taught ignorance and dependency, they look close at hand for monsters to destroy.
When I read this passage, I had to stop and put the book down. Shapiro’s premonition of the societal Petri dish that spawned Charlie Kirk’s assassin was, in my opinion, frighteningly perfect.
Although the above passage focuses on the role of parents, Shapiro does not lay blame exclusively at their feet. The poisonous influences on our youth are as varied as they are systemic. He might as well have written,
“Unmoored from a civilization their educators refuse to defend ...”
“Unmoored from a civilization their journalists refuse to defend ...”
“Unmoored from a civilization their entertainers refuse to defend ...”
This is the dark reality we are facing today. With fewer and fewer defending civilization, recent generations have been raised in factories of nihilism that churn out riots and shine spotlights on targets. With Charlie Kirk, we’ve seen exactly what happens when these orc-like kids hit the streets. The social media posts in support of his murder only demonstrated this reality in sharper relief. Lions — who would never dream of condoning an act so heinous — were naturally stunned by this unconscionable braying. “Who are these bloodthirsty ghouls living in our midst?” we were suddenly forced to wonder.
But now there is a new hope. Prior to his death, Charlie Kirk (a Lion if there ever was one) had established a movement that was having an impact on millions of young people in America and abroad. He fearlessly promoted the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government, but foundational to everything he advanced was a belief in God. From that foundation, he preached the importance of marriage and the family to a generation for whom that message was fresh and exciting.
Those efforts were already proving effective, but since the tragic events of two weeks ago, Turning Point USA claims that it has received more than 54,000 requests — either to begin a chapter or to join an existing one — from high school or college students across the U.S. Donations have been pouring into the organization like never before. And we now know that Charlie’s wife, Erika, is a Lion as well. The gracious courage she demonstrated at Charlie’s memorial service will likely reverberate for generations.
To continue this positive change, to continue turning the tide from evil toward good, we need to look within and examine our own lives. We must remember that Jesus didn’t come to save the world; he came to save us. Will we accept his gift? If we do, we’ll discover one of the most beautiful side benefits of all time: Once we as individuals are saved, our newfound joy and gratitude will bathe the world around us in a never-ending, love-filled light. This is how we become Lions. This is how we address Scavengers. This is what we saw and admired in Charlie.
Image via PickPik.