Murder is wrong. It’s not that hard to say.

Prove me wrong.

The rhetoric has to be “toned down.” That’s a nice sentiment and a platitude, like “be kind.” Many people have said we must “tone down” the rhetoric. Some meant it sincerely, what polite society expected them to say. Others, knowing that their side much more than the other needs to tone it down, use it as a rhetorical tool to try to level the playing field for political advantage. 

The Left needs to not only tone it down, it needs to stop using purposely hateful, divisive rhetoric — and violence. But too many do not want calm, stability, and order. They want fear, hate, and chaos.

American political debate should be about ideas and winning elections, not about riots or threatening those with whom we disagree. We live in a civil society and for America to flourish, we have to have civil debate — if we want our children to inherit America.

Many on the Left (intentionally or unwittingly) began the rhetorical tactic of labeling not only conservative views, but traditional American and Western cultural views as “hate.” Over time, the Left and their allies in the legacy media added labels — racist, patriarchal, bigoted, homophobic and misogynistic. Culminating in “fascist” or Nazi, even “Hitler.”

The Left throws around “fascist” as effortlessly as a Chik-Fil-A staffer says “my pleasure.”

It isn’t enough to allege that someone’s opinion was wrong or even cruel: the Left immediately jumps to “fascist.” As if it’s a middle school game and you run to “base” and the game pauses. Nothing further can be said or done.

After all, if there’s a debate about securing the border, abortion, or school choice and your opponent alleges that you’re a fascist, there’s nothing further to discuss. No one learns anything. No opinions are shifted, other than some listeners who may decide that the conservative is evil.

An often heard phrase in recent months is: “Republicans are flawed; but, Democrats are crazy.” The last week has proven that, tragically.

Both Republican/conservative and Democratic/progressive leaders have been targeted for violence. Yet a fairer assessment would be to note that it’s far more dangerous to be a Republican. An even more fair assessment is that it’s far more likely for a Republican to be physically attacked by someone who is left-wing than vice versa.

But even if one disagrees with that assessment, here’s what one cannot disagree with. 

When the CEO of United Healthcare — whose politics I do not know — was gunned down during the Christmas season in cold blood, we heard left-wing commentators say out loud: “It’s wrong, but…”

It’s the “but” that jarred me and millions of Americans. 

It should jar every human being who lives in a free society — jar them to their core. Those who say such things must be challenged. We are duty-bound.

When President Trump was shot, they lectured us about how we “have to recognize” that his “hate speech” caused it.

It’s the “we have to recognize” that jarred me, and millions of Americans.

To them, we “have to recognize” advocating: securing the border; removing illegal immigrant criminals from America; making sure that grown men don’t go into women’s showers and onto their softball fields; children being taught math and science, not how white middle-schoolers oppress their black classmates; and defenseless pre-born babies ought not be aborted wantonly (especially in the 3rd trimester) — is “hate speech.” And, thus, presumably, all bets are off. 

Here is the fundamentally different belief system. No Republican politician, no serious conservative ever, ever alleges that any public figures of either party brought about their own deaths because of their speech.

No Republican politician, no serious conservative ever alleged that the murderer was wrong — “but”…

Another important difference that flies in the face of “all sides” need to “tone down.”

After a conservative is murdered, no mayor, governor, or president has ordered a curfew. Never do shopkeepers board up their stores. No police officer needs to fear for his life, no bricks will be thrown. Not after the shooting of Steve Scalise, not after the assassination attempts on President Trump, not after the multiple threats against and the vicious, unfair verbal attacks on Justice Kavanaugh, and not after the cold-blooded murder of Charlie Kirk. In Utah, they prayed.

No shops were looted. No intersections blocked. No buildings burned.

While I don’t believe it’s comparable, reasonable people can debate which side’s rhetoric is more inflammatory — or even allege that both sides are wrong.

While I don’t believe it’s comparable, reasonable people might allege that both sides commit violence.

But here is what has to change.

The era of “but” and the era of “you have to understand” must end.

Democratic politicians and left-wing commentators so causally chant “fascist,” “threat to democracy” and “Hitler,” so often say murder is bad “but” (even when it’s a Ukrainian refugee slaughtered by a sociopath who was released from jail fourteen times), and so often say “you have to understand,” that when they actually condemn a murder without clarification, it’s newsworthy.

Even Governor Josh Shapiro, having himself been a target, rightfully condemned Charlie Kirk’s assassination, but added an attack on President Trump’s grieving remarks.

The singular clarion Democratic voice speaking out against brutal attacks on innocent Jews, rioters burning buildings and throwing bricks at police officers, the attempts on President Trump’s life, and Charlie Kirk’s murder has been Senator John Fetterman.

When the hoodie-wearing Senator speaks, there is never a “but” nor any equivocation: “I condemn this in the strongest terms. There is ZERO place in our great country for these horrendous acts of political violence.” “Our family grieves for Charlie Kirk’s family.”

That’s how a civilized society works. That’s how America must be.

Prove me wrong.

Guy Ciarrocchi is a Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation. He writes for Broad + Liberty and RealClear Pennsylvania. Follow Guy at @PaSuburbsGuy.