Charlie Kirk’s Death Didn’t Just Divide Us — It Exposed Us
When grown adults celebrate a killing, it’s not just tragic-it’s a mirror of our society’s brokenness.
Do you ever wonder why SEL (social-emotional learning) just recently became a thing? It wasn’t taught back in the 1900s because it wasn’t necessary. People actually interacted face-to-face. And if you didn’t have something nice to say, you kept your trap shut. Nobody was hiding behind a screen like a comment crusader, spewing insults they’d never have the guts to say in person. Decency was the expectation, not the exception.
Now, fast forward to today. SEL is the big buzzword in schools. But in practice, it’s usually just a slideshow with a “word of the week” and zero chance for kids to actually practice it. And meanwhile, we’re watching adults…like real life grown men and women…celebrate the assassination of Charlie Kirk online. That’s not politics. That’s proof our society has lost the basic skills of decency, empathy, and restraint.
When Do Kids Actually Get SEL Practice?
Elementary kids technically have recess and lunch, but let’s be real about that:
Lunch: Maybe 30 minutes to talk—if the cafeteria isn’t on “silent lunch” punishment.
Recess: Sure, it’s free time, but most of it is kids burning off energy, not actually practicing how to work through conflict, build empathy, or hold a meaningful conversation.
Middle and high school? Even worse. Passing periods are too short, classrooms are sit-and-get, and phones have replaced face-to-face interaction with emojis and group chats. That doesn’t teach tone. That doesn’t teach listening. That doesn’t teach respect.
So when exactly do kids get the reps they need in real human interaction? Well, they mostly don’t.
Adults Aren’t Off the Hook
And let’s not pretend this is just a kid problem. Adults are modeling the same garbage. The hate and mocking online after Charlie Kirk’s assassination is Exhibit A. If grown adults can’t disagree without spitting venom, what exactly are kids supposed to learn?
The Reality Check
Teachers get handed this whole mess and told to fix it. “Integrate SEL throughout the day.” OK- “I’ll get right on that” in addition to the hundred other things already crammed on their plates. And even when they do, it’s still in a controlled classroom, not the unpredictable, messy spaces where social-emotional skills actually matter.
Here’s the truth: we can’t dump SEL on schools alone. It can’t be a slideshow. It can’t just be a curriculum. SEL is life. It’s practice. It’s modeling. It’s community.
The Challenge
So here’s my question: How are you going to help humanity today?
Because until SEL moves off the screen and into our daily lives, we’ll keep raising kids who don’t know how to interact, and adults who don’t know how to disagree. And society will keep crumbling under the weight of its own immaturity.
The Bible says it best in Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” That means SEL isn’t just a school thing. It’s a life thing. A faith thing. A humanity thing. And it starts with us.