Hatred and lies poisoning public conversation

A WIDOW stood before a sea of mourners, her voice steady but heavy with grief.

- Jonathan Arnott

She spoke of her husband, paying tribute to the love of her life.

Then, in a moment that silenced the room, she extended forgiveness to the person who had taken him from her.

Her words were not just an act of grace but a clarion call for humanity in an age increasingly defined by division. It was a moment that should inspire us all - a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable loss, compassion can prevail.

Or was it? By the time the moment had been filtered through social media, it was apparently full of hatred. Like Orwell's 1984, in which the Ministry of Peace organised war, the Ministry of Love dealt with hate, and the Ministry of Truth distributed lies, words are now being twisted to be interpreted as the polar opposite of what they actually say.

Yet, as I reflect on this scene, my heart sinks at the venom that has poisoned so much of our public conversation.

The man being mourned was Charlie Kirk, yes, a polarising figure in American politics, but one assassinated in a shocking act of violence. Political slogans were carved into the bullets.

Charlie Kirk’s death itself - and the hatred which caused it - is not even the most frightening part.