J.K. Rowling’s Response to the
Assassination of Charlie Kirk
If you believe free speech is just
for people with whom you agree,
then you’re illiberal, and trust
in your infallibility.
And, if new facts get vilified
before they’re heard, then you have missed
the awful truth that deep inside,
you are a fundamentalist.
And worse yet, if you want the state
to punish people for the sin
of vocalizing views you hate,
you are totalitarian.
But worst of all, is someone who
will quite emphatically insist
on death for those with the wrong view.
That person is a terrorist.
Poet’s Note: Here is the original quote from J.K. Rowling: “If you believe free speech is for you but not your political opponents, you’re illiberal. If no contrary evidence could change your beliefs, you’re a fundamentalist. If you believe the state should punish those with contrary views, you’re a totalitarian. If you believe political opponents should be punished with violence or death, you’re a terrorist.”
Warren Bonham is a private equity investor who lives in Southlake, Texas.
Warren, what a perfect quote from a courageous lady – you have done Rowling’s wise words every justice with your timely poem. I thank you for boldly going where others fear to tread during tyrannous times. The Truth matters!
I loved the Potter books and recently stumbled upon a few of her quotes. She is truly courageous. I couldn’t not try to fit her quote into some kind of rhyming structure.
Warren, putting J.K. Rowling’s statement into poetic form regarding the Charlie Kirk assassination really puts free speech into perspective. Well done.
I’m very glad you enjoyed this one! Rowling obviously has a way with words. I think she nailed it with her quote.
I couldn’t agree more, Warren. Unfortunately, we’re living in a world where those with a different viewpoint are being labelled enemies, and are apparently soon to be labelled terrorists and instill fear, I imagine so as to clinch future elections.
It takes some imagination to realise where all this going, which is largely why I wrote and published on Amazon my novel, ‘The Movement’.
Yet we still espouse the views J.K. Rowling listed, when we can see the opposite happening all around us and don’t raise even an eyebrow.
Warren, this poem says it all. Ordinary people have been demonized, deplatformed and deaded by the new, enlightened and caring people for far too many years. We have been accused of being deplorable, stupid and uncaring because we cannot embrace the new beliefs that these paragons of all that is admirable insist that we must embrace. We have been accused of insurrection because we entered the “People’s House” unarmed.
J.K is not a conservative, but she has sinned and has faced many death threats from the righteous because she has not adhered to every jot and tittle of the new righteousness.
JK is a great role model in that she has remained steadfast despite being cancelled by pretty much everyone she once would have considered to be an ally. Most people would have broken when placed under that much pressure. I like the jot and tittle reference. Very appropriate.
J.K. Rowling is a very brave woman. And she has received a lot of vicious backlash for having expressed unorthodox opinions on several subjects.
God bless her, and more power to her. But the plain fact is that she has lot of what we in the U.S. call “F–k you” money, which means that she suffers no financial or career penalties for whatever she chooses to say. I don’t bring this is up to denigrate her — I think she is a great woman — but simply to point out that many of us who agree with her are in no such lucky position.
I’m deeply grateful that J.K. Rowling speaks up. I only wish that many other wealthy and affluent conservatives would do the same, instead of worrying about what their stupid left-liberal neighbors might think.
The left is enraged by public disagreement. If you remain silent and uncomplaining, the left considers you unimportant, because you are either acquiescent or defeated. But if you speak up openly, and defiantly, and articulately, and with contempt for leftist dogma, this frightens and angers them.
I’m not sure if you saw her brilliant comment about Malcolm Gladwell that preceded this one (September 5th on X). Gladwell recently admitted that he was ashamed that he was “cowed” into supporting transgender participation in women’s sports. Rowling questioned the sincerity of his conversion by referring to him as a “weathervane”. She was similarly scathing in her comments about Emma Watson now appearing to soften. Rowling does not hold back. That’s tough even for a billionaire.
This is awesome, Warren — a clever restatement of J.K. Rowling’s insightful and candid take on what leftists do with free speech and opinions they dislike. You retain the economy and candor of Rowling’s observations while making it formalized and memorable with rhyme. I have to take a moment to give a shout out to J.K. Rowling who is one of my favorite public figures — perhaps even a role model. I think her talent is matched only by her cojones and excellent boundaries. She tells it like it is and damn the consequences. We need so many more like her.
I hadn’t thought about Rowling for many years and then in a short period of time, I came across her takedown of Malcolm Gladwell, her Charlie Kirk quote and then her rebuke of Emma Watson. I will be paying a lot closer attention to her going forward.
Thank you for putting this quote to verse. It is often a challenge to give to others the liberty of thought and word that we want for ourselves. As a Christian, I have felt that often it has been the “liberal” or non-believer who has sought to squelch the public expression of faith, as in the “cancel culture” of recent years. Surely, Rowling is a courageous cultural influencer.
Thanks! It’s good to see Rowling getting rehabilitated (at least to a degree). As you say, she is certainly very courageous.
Warren, even with Rowling’s giving you the four-part structure (of progressively worse attitudes toward opposing views), you met the challenge of turning it into good yet varied sentences. And statements that correctly interpret the terms she used. It is interesting that “illiberal” in a political context could refer to someone who is conservative, and thus it stings those liberals who consider themselves the opposite of conservative. At the same time it stings conservatives unwilling to hear opinions of others–and therefore is well chosen for the Kirk controversy. Charlie was definitely a conservative, and some would consider him fundamentalist, but he made a point of listening before answering back.
Rowling definitely gave me a head start with the four-part progression in her quote. That was more than half the battle. I also completely agree with your observation about liberals very often being quite illiberal. I was in Canada this past weekend and heard several people mention that voicing support for her can create possible exposure under their “hate speech” laws. That seems quite illiberal.