By Matt Underwood The right laughs at trans people’s deaths but demands people be sad over Charlie Kirk. This stark contrast, this blatant hypocrisy, reveals a chilling truth: a hierarchy of the value of people’s lives is intrinsic to the authoritarian project. The Republican Party, wielding its power, is actively trying to enforce this hierarchy on everyone. They want us to comply, to accept their warped worldview where some lives are inherently worth more than others.
This insidious agenda manifests in various ways. We see it in the gleeful reactions to the deaths of trans individuals, often accompanied by dehumanizing language and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. Then, we witness the indignant outrage, the demands for public mourning, and the attempts to silence any dissent when a figure like Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing personality, dies. The message is clear: your worth, your humanity, is contingent on your alignment with their ideology. Alex Stein’s despicable comments, mocking trans suicide victims in the Texas Senate, are a perfect example of this. The silence and lack of condemnation from the right wing is deafening.
The constant denigration of marginalized groups is not just an unfortunate side effect; it is a calculated tactic. They are not simply bullying; they are actively trying to eradicate a group of people, as some commenters noted. This isn’t an online discourse issue; it’s an actual desire to eradicate a people. This dehumanization is the foundation upon which the authoritarian project is built. By portraying trans people, people of color, and other minorities as less-than, as deserving of derision or worse, they create a climate of fear and division that allows them to consolidate power.
The double standard is glaring. They decry “cancel culture” while actively trying to silence and punish anyone who dares to speak ill of their favored figures. They champion “free speech” while simultaneously demanding unwavering respect for their narratives, even when those narratives are rooted in hate and misinformation. They can laugh at the deaths of others, but expect unending deference to their own. The hypocrisy is stunning, but it’s also a strategic move. It is a display of power, a warning to those who might question their authority.
This is not merely about personal opinions or political disagreements; it’s about the inherent value of human life. They have established their values to be straight, white, male, Christian, and right-wing. This blatant hierarchy serves as a template that all must adhere to. It’s an effort to enforce this standard on everyone, ensuring that the rest of society must conform to their limited way of thinking.
The media’s role is critical here. They must resist the temptation to normalize or sanitize the right’s rhetoric. They must condemn the violence, the hate speech, and the constant attempts to dehumanize others. They must expose the hypocrisy and the double standards. They are the ones trying to call for government crackdowns on groups. This media moment should stand to the left, and not allow the right to gain the upper hand.
The real tragedy here is the erosion of empathy, compassion, and basic human decency. This is a culture where the value of a human life is dependent on someone’s political leaning. The right-wing seems more concerned with their talking points than with the suffering of the vulnerable.
The authoritarian project thrives on division and the suppression of dissent. It relies on the creation of an “us versus them” mentality, where any criticism of their leaders is viewed as an attack on their entire identity. This is where people are told to report others to their employers if they don’t align with a political stance. This is how they build their support, by feeding their base a constant stream of lies and fear. They demand loyalty above all else. We must see this for what it is, and not allow it to succeed.
We must not be complicit. We must speak out against the hate, the hypocrisy, and the attempts to control us. We must stand in solidarity with those who are targeted by this authoritarian project. It is imperative that we resist the pressure to conform.