Jay Leno Calls Charlie Kirk Assassination 'The Death Of Free Speech'
The former 'Tonight Show' host called for a return of lively debates
The assassination of activist and media personality Charlie Kirk was a tragic and sobering reminder that free speech is still very much under attack. However, according to legendary comedian and former host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno, Kirk's assassination signaled the death of free speech.
On Thursday, Leno called into The Tim Conway Jr. Show — hosted by the son of late comedy great Tim Conway — to discuss the horrific scene that unfolded during a Turning Point USA event on Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Leno condemned the shooter’s cowardly turn to violence over words.
"It's not a random shooting. I mean, it's the death of free speech to think that you are so illiterate and so stupid you can't answer verbally if you have to shoot somebody with a gun to "win the argument."
It's frightening to hear someone whose career has spanned multiple generations of American society say something like this. Still, a moment in history as horrific and traumatic as what certainly appears to be a politically motivated assassination, which will get you to start questioning things like this.
Leno, who got his bachelor's degree from Boston's Emerson College, recalled his experiences in school and how debates were standard practice.
"You know what? When I was in school, lively debate was unbelievable," he continued. "They had the SDS, the Students for a Democratic Society debates."
According to Emerson College, Leno graduated in 1973, which means he was in school during the Vietnam War, another one of the most politically polarized times in American history.
But look how this was handled on college campuses. Debates. Not trying to get events featuring speakers they disagreed with canceled.
Or worse, violence.