Charlie Kirk and the quirk of empathy for those who hate

While on Instagram a few days into the aftermath of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s death, I came across a video by professional counsellor Jeff Guenther, who was talking about how “it’s okay not to feel sympathy for Charlie Kirk”.

- Zukiswa Pikoli

This was a statement he recognised as being controversial, but, since it had piqued my interest, I gave it a listen.

I should also say that before his death I had no knowledge of who Kirk was. But I know of people like him, and my position on them is very clear: I am repelled by their regressive thinking because I am a black, feminist woman, but mostly because I subscribe to enlightenment and evolution and not ignorance and devolution.

But back to Guenther. He went on to explain that “empathy is a natural human response but it isn’t something you can force. Yes, Charlie Kirk was human being, a husband and a father, and it may be easy to connect with that part of his humanity...