On Hacker News and Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk thought conversation was the only way we were going to heal America. He believed we had to learn to talk to each other without vitriol, without poison, without anger. We had to be able to listen, and say what we mean, without being mean. And to talk to each other across divides. These are exactly the kind of things good discussion here exemplifies.

Because these are Hacker News’ ideals as well. The moderators fight for this kind of discussion. This is the place on the internet that most represents the kind of ideal discourse that Charlie Kirk practiced day in and day out.

This is what HN aspires to be. Given this truth it’s surprising that despite the volume of discussion about Kirk since his killing, there’s been so little here of that kind of discussion: without hatred, without vitriol, without anger. This is also true here of many topics that challenge us to embody those ideals.

I think this realization should prompt reflections on the kind of behavior really here, and hopefully reflecting nudges it back towards collectively creating the kind of discourse that will heal not just America, because HN is truly global, but the world - by talking to each other in the Charlie Kirk way, across divides, without hostility.