【By Observer News, Chen Sijia】 Recently, Charlie Kirk, an American conservative political activist, was shot and killed during a speech at a university. This incident not only shocked the entire United States but also triggered intense conflicts among various groups in American society. People opposing the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement believe that this was just deserts, while the far-right group supporting Kirk has retaliated through "doxxing" and "outing" (publicly revealing personal information).

According to CNN on September 13, a website named "Expose the Killer of Charlie" has attracted attention on American social media. It collects personal information of people suspected of "celebrating Kirk's death" and publishes it online. Many people are worried that the widespread dissemination of this information may lead to online harassment and violent incidents.

The website's domain name is anonymously registered, located in Iceland, and it claims to "not be a doxxing site," but has already published dozens of pieces of personal information. The website stated on the 13th that it will soon be converted into a searchable database containing about 30,000 pieces of personal information submitted by supporters of Kirk, allowing users to filter the information by approximate location and occupation, and will "keep updating."

CNN reported that some of the individuals marked by the website have merely mentioned Kirk's pro-gun stance, while others have simply stated that "the world will continue to turn." Some individuals whose personal information was exposed said they have been subjected to a series of harassments and are afraid of becoming victims of violent activities.

American far-right internet personality Laura Loomer, who had close ties with Trump, posted on X just hours after the shooting, saying: "Tonight I will make everyone who celebrated his death famous, so if you are sick enough to celebrate his death, be ready for your future career prospects to be completely ruined."

Canadian independent journalist Rachel Gilmore said she has received a large number of threats, and the past 48 hours have been like "hell on earth" for her. She expressed "fear" towards the retaliation actions of Kirk's "far-right fans." Gilmore emphasized that she never celebrated Kirk's death, but instead had written posts hoping Kirk would survive.

Rebekah Jones, a former Florida state coronavirus data scientist, said she has contacted the police about the death threats she has received and the "hit list" website. Jones previously wrote on social media: "Save your sympathy for the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of MAGA violent political propaganda machine."

Hank Teran, CEO of the extremist information identification platform Open Measures, said that the name of the website implies that the people whose information is published are responsible for Kirk's death, which has fueled the harassment. He believes: "It is reasonable to conclude that there is an intention to incite harassment."

On the evening of September 10, American conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speech at Utah Valley University. Visual China

Some Republican officials have also criticized people celebrating Kirk's death on social media, leading to some opponents of Kirk being fired.

For example, Martha Blackburn, a Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, stated that a Middle Tennessee State University employee who claimed to have "zero sympathy" for Kirk's death should be fired. The university told CNN that the involved personnel have been fired, "any university employee who celebrated Kirk's assassination should not be trusted to shape the thoughts of the next generation in the classroom."

Nancy Mace, a Republican U.S. Representative from South Carolina, also targeted a high school teacher who celebrated Kirk's death, demanding that the Greenville County School District fire the teacher. The Greenville County School District quickly confirmed to local media that the teacher had been fired.

CNN noted that on the social media platform X, some right-wing individuals have also posted concentrated posts, updating in real-time news reports about those who were fired due to comments related to Kirk.

After MSNBC fired its senior political analyst Matthew Dowd, President Trump also participated in the discussion. Trump said in an interview with Fox News: "They fired this person, Matthew Dowd from MSNBC, he's a bad person, but they fired him. I heard they're firing others too."

Jeffrey Hirsch, a professor of labor and employment law at the University of North Carolina, told CNN that in most cases, inappropriate statements on social media can be a reason for private companies to fire employees, but for public sector employees, the issue is more complicated. He pointed out that if the speech is "severe enough to disrupt operations," public sector employees can be fired.

However, the report pointed out that in a case in 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a government official's statement "regretting that President Reagan was not killed by an assassin" was protected by the Constitution and could not be a reason for dismissal.

CNN analyzed that the right-wing "online revenge campaign" in the United States indicates that even social media posts or private information from accounts with few followers or non-public figures may be easily uncovered and made public. In the context where doxxing has become easier than ever, users' personal information may be widely spread on the Internet.

The intense conflict caused by Kirk's death in the United States reflects the current situation of social division in the country. Laura Edelson, an assistant professor at Northeastern University, said that the highly tense political situation in the United States is intensifying people's emotional reactions, "creating a need to take action."

Whitney Phillips, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, believes: "Trying to blame those identified as celebrating Kirk's death, or even those who have only criticized Kirk's life and work, is actually creating an enemy. Previously unrelated groups may be seen as 'the complete mental enemies of conservatives,' or even as enemies of the entire United States."

This article is exclusive to Observer News. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7549963033263473204/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking the [up/down] buttons below.