The move to honor Charlie Kirk’s legacy and denounce political violence remains a cause for controversy on the Left, including for members of the Cuyahoga City Council. President Dale Miller’s decision to honor Kirk during Tuesday’s meeting led to walkouts, including from Vice President Yvonne Conwell and two other members. All members in question are Democrats.
What about Tuesday’s meeting was so controversial? Miller dared to mention Kirk when mentioning other targets of political violence as well, including state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman, both Minnesota Democrats. Hortman was killed while Hoffman was injured.
As Cleveland.com detailed for The Wake Up on Thursday morning:
Council President Dale Miller surprised most of his colleagues Tuesday night when he opened the meeting by calling for a moment of silence to honor Kirk and other recent victims of political violence.
“This is a sad day,” Miller said, mentioning Kirk and Minnesota state legislators Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman. “We send positive thoughts for an end to all political violence.”
There have been numerous examples of political violence since Kirk’s assassination just over two weeks ago, which The Daily Signal’s Tyler O’Neil highlighted.
Conwell took issue, though, and walked out along with members Meredith Turner and Pernel Jones Jr.
“I do not condone acts of violence of any kind,” Conwell said. “But I will not be able to do a moment of silence for someone who actively communicated racist remarks against African Americans.” The Daily Signal reached out to Conwell’s office for comment.
Another article from Cleveland.com referenced Miller’s response:
Miller later told cleveland.com that he regrets not giving his colleagues a heads up about the announcement and said he respects how they handled it. However, he continued to defend his decision, saying he abhors all political violence, whether he agrees with the person’s ideology or not.
“It’s just a matter of being consistent,” Miller explained. “For democracy to work in our country, we have to respect each other’s differences of beliefs and avoid violence.”
Another black leader in Ohio had a different take from those who walked out. On Monday, Pastor Jeff Jemison of Fremont, Ohio, began an Ohio GOP event by holding a moment of silence for Kirk. He also spoke to The Daily Signal in response to the city council meeting walkouts.
“Death, assassination, the loss of any individual is tragic, and I think that any time a family experiences loss, we should do all that we can to respect the family,” Jemison shared. He noted that this is “especially when there are children involved because it sends a strong message to the children about the world,” adding, “I think we ought to put forth our best efforts to promote peace.”
Jemison also spoke to the division. “All it does is further divide and alienate people and we’re living in a time when we have enough division,” he noted, adding that “our young people are looking toward us to bring healing in such a divided and polarizing time.”
For those who may not wish to stick to saying something nice, Jemison spoke to the lesson people learn as children that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. “Sometimes silence is recipe for the moment,” he pointed out.
Such a conversation about Kirk is not merely present in Ohio.
Many House Democrats also denounced Kirk when Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., introduced a resolution honoring Kirk. Nearly 60 Democrats voted against the measure. Thirty-eight members voted present, and 22 members did not vote.
Among those Democrats vocally opposed included Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Jasmine Crockett, who focused on race. The Daily Signal’s Tony Kinnett has thoroughly addressed such members’ remarks on his show.
Jemison had a message for leaders, whether they be religious leaders or elected officials, in that “it’s incumbent upon us to put forth our best efforts to be the best people that we can be for the people that still remain and watch us, especially leaders, those in positions of authority.”
He noted that such leaders should “do all they can to try to live by the spiritual truth that Christ gave us when he said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,'” adding “there’s a lot to be learned in promoting peace.”
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