On the heels of a tragic shooting in Utah that claimed the life of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Stephen A. Smith took a rare detour from his usual sports commentary to deliver a sobering message on humanity, unity, and the role sports must play in a fractured America.
“We saw this man speaking … and we saw him struck by a bullet in his neck,” Smith said, not mincing words describing the heinous act that took place at Utah Valley University. A 31-year-old father of two was gunned down in broad daylight, in front of his wife and children. And the horror of it, Smith said, transcends politics. It’s about a life lost — a husband, a father, a fellow American — executed for simply expressing his beliefs.
“There’s a lot more love and a lot more brotherhood and sisterhood and humanity that goes on in this world that does it than doesn’t,” he stated. “Yet the few who are evil amongst us are the ones that screech and make the most noise. And it’s affecting us in a way where it’s getting to a point where you’re going to get scared to walk out in the streets. You’re going to get scared to show love and affection and even to say hello to your fellow man and woman, your neighbor.”
While Smith emphasized that Mad Dog Sports Radio is not a political soapbox, he made clear: “I don’t care what his political beliefs were. I don’t care what he felt. I care about the fact that a man was gunned down in front of two of his children who are 5 years of age or less. That he’s dead at the age of 31. That his wife is a widow. That his children are fatherless because his ideas and his beliefs differed from somebody else.”
That, he said, is the only thing that should matter. Not party. Not ideology. Humanity.
Smith blasted those online who celebrated Kirk’s death. “Shame. Shame on you,” he declared. For Smith, the very idea that someone could cheer the assassination of a man for his views marks a grotesque turning point in our moral compass.
“At some point in time, we got to remember that and remember to remind one another that there’s far more love in this world than hate and not allow evil and hate to dominate us and to strip us of what truly makes us the greatest nation in the world,” he declared. “It’s that mosaic that we live under, a willingness to embrace any and all and find a way to agree without being disagreeable. Not even because we may want to all the time, but because we know it’s what’s best for a society to be civilized and positioned to prosper. Someone forgot about that yesterday and murdered Charlie Kirk. Others forgot about it by parading online and celebrating an evil, vile occurrence.”
The ESPN host, unapologetically black and proud of his journey, highlighted moments of unity he experiences every day. “I see people looking at me and smiling and saying, ‘What’s up, Stephen?’ and they don’t look anything like me. And I don’t care — because they’re showing me love, and I’m showing it right back.”
In closing, he reminded listeners: “He’s gone at 31 just because he expressed thoughts that differed from somebody else apparently. And some might blame it because, ‘oh my God, he’s friends with the president’ and they may not be a Donald Trump supporter. I’m saying bump all that. He’s a human being living in the United States of America. This is America. We’re not supposed to condone stuff like this. We’re not supposed to say it’s okay. I don’t give a damn who you are. Black, white, or anything in between. You’re a human being. That’s your fellow man and fellow woman out there.”
