Charlie Kirk's Legacy: Conspiracy Theories or Dialogue?

A year ago today, Charlie Kirk lost his life to an assassin's bullet. Here is a portion of what I wrote in response to the news of his death:

Charlie Kirk did not deserve the manner of his final fate while speaking on a university campus in Utah. A young man struck down a month shy of his 32nd birthday leaving behind a widow and two small children.

Even if one believed his views to be repugnant, the First Amendment permits such speech. A free people can choose to accept, reject or ignore it. 

What happened to Charlie Kirk today is every bit as wrong as what happened to Minnesota Democratic State Senator Melissa Hortman last June. No one should lose their life for expressing their point of view, right or wrong.

While we can and must condemn the act which ended the life of Charlie Kirk, we must not whitewash his legacy. As previously mentioned, I did not write a great deal about him but when I did write about him it was not to lavish him with praise. However appalling the circumstances of Charlie Kirk's death, it doesn't change the fact that he judged African Americans by their color of their skin instead of the content of their character. I will lament his death, but I won't ignore his bigotry and hatred of others. R.I.P.

With this in mind, let me draw your attention to an editorial in the Boston Globe written by Kara Bettis Carvalho which focuses on college students who are involved with Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA:

Yale’s chapter is one of dozens across the country that have launched since Kirk’s death. Turning Point’s website claims to currently sponsor 1,500 college chapters, including at 69 campuses around New England. A CNN report found that the organization had grown by 64 percent over the past year.

Students I spoke to say they want to promote dialogue — especially about economics and foreign policy — expose students on liberal campuses to opposing viewpoints, and at the very least, not be condemned for having a different political opinion that puts them in the small but not insignificant minority.

In many cases, conservative student groups meet to discuss politics, the news, and — what nearly every student told me — to have a “safe space” to talk honestly about their beliefs. Most of them had good relationships with the Democratic clubs on campus but had experienced harassment from far-left groups and individuals, including having their posters covered up.

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with wanting to promote dialogue and I am glad to hear that these students involved with Turning Point USA have cordial relationships with Democrats on campus.

It reminds me of my days as an undergraduate at Carleton University more than 30 years ago. At the time, I was involved in the campus NDP. Every year, there would be a Model Parliament. The first year, I attended it was organized by the campus Tories, and it was not a good event for those involved with other political parties. 

Not wanting a repeat experience, I took it upon myself to work with the other campus political parties to organize an all-party committee to organize the next Model Parliament. With a focus on cooperation, the event was much more successful.

Of course, we disagreed. That is the essence of political parties and democracy at large. We just disagreed in an orderly manner. If Turning Point USA can co-exist with left-wing organizations on campus, then this is a good thing. 

Nevertheless, I cannot help but wonder what these Turning Point USA campus groups discuss. After all, Kirk built his brand on conspiracy theories - COVID and election denialism with overt hostility towards African Americans and the LGBTQ community. If this is the sort of thing Turning Point USA talks about then I can see why it would turn off a great many people who would not be inclined to associate with it. 

Let us also consider that in the year since Kirk's death, there have been several conspiracy theories hatched concerning his demise namely that his assassination was carried out by Israel and that his widow Erika was involved in his murder. In the grand scheme of things, we should not be surprised that someone who promoted conspiracy theories in life would be the subject of them in death.

While I have no doubt that there are those who joined Turning Point USA in good faith wishing to promote dialogue, I suspect that Charlie Kirk's legacy rests on an endless cycle of conspiracy theories and diatribes.

Things Aren't So Smiley in Providence As Mayor Ousted By Anti-Semitic Challenger

(Providence Mayor Brett Smiley (L) & David Morales (R))

In Providence, Rhode Island, incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley was ousted in the Democratic primary by 27-year-old State Representative David Morales,

With 85% of the votes tabulated, Morales earned 54% of the vote while Smiley tallied 46% of the vote. Smiley was seeking his second term in office.

What is disturbing about Morales is that much of his campaign was centered on his hostility towards Israel and to the Jewish community at large. Not only has Morales pledged to use his platform as mayor to oppose "unconditional military aid" for Israel but he objected to Smiley attending a conference sponsored by the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement. It should also be noted that Smiley converted to Judaism during his term in office.

Morales is widely expected to prevail against Republican mayoral candidate David Talan in November. Providence hasn't had a Republican mayor since the late Buddy Cianci who eventually became an Independent.

I suspect Morales will campaign on a local referendum which calls upon the city to not invest in “foreign countries conducting ethnic cleansing, apartheid, illegal military occupation, or genocide.” No countries are named in the referendum question, but its organizers are clear in singling out Israel.

In retrospect, this turn of events is not entirely surprising. In May 2025, the Palestinian flag flew over Providence City Hall over Smiley's objections. 

It would seem that Morales is more interested than advocating for Palestinians than he is in advocating for Providence. But if the people see fit to elect Morales in November, then they will get the government they deserve.

Thoughts on The Holdout Juror Who Wanted to Convict Lindsay Clancy For Murdering Her 3 Young Children

I generally tend not to follow trials which occupy space in the news cycle. There is too much of a tabloid element for my taste. 

This also applies to trials which occur here in Massachusetts such as the two murder trials of Karen Read nor the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy - that is until it resulted in a mistrial due to a holdout juror.

As you may recall, I served on a federal jury last December concerning a drug case and ended up on the wrong end of an 11-1 vote until I reluctantly voted to convict. 

Given the circumstances, I must say that I have a great admiration for that holdout juror for sticking to his guns. There is a big part of me that wishes I had done the same. 

Now as you can imagine, the other jurors in the Clancy case do not share my admiration. I know full well that the jurors with whom I served could not stand the sight of me because they wanted to go home. 

The juror in question has not come forward since the mistrial as of this writing. Whether he will choose to speak his peace in public remains to be seen and is entirely up to him.

Notwithstanding my admiration, it is quite possible that if I had served on that jury, I might have very well stood with the other 11 jurors who voted to acquit Clancy. While I am inclined to believe that Clancy knew what she was doing and willfully killed her children, I did not sit in that jury box and did not hear all the evidence. There are certain things to which a jury and those in the courtroom are privy. It is possible there were mitigating factors that would warrant a not guilty verdict despite the fact Clancy killed her children.

Given my recent experiences, had I been on that jury and voted to convict, I would like to think that I would have possessed sufficient empathy to try to reason with this juror without belittling him. Such an intervention might not have changed his mind but if I were in a such a situation I can only hope to convey an understanding for his position and an understanding why his conscience told him he could not vote with everyone else.

Perhaps this juror did gain an understanding of post-partem depression during the trial. Yet this juror probably thought this was not sufficient to justify the murder of three children - Cora Clancy, 5; Dawson Clancy, 3; and 8-month-old Callan Clancy. Perhaps he believed the victims had been forgotten and deserved justice. For this juror, it meant Lindsay Clancy was guilty of murder.

Thoughts on Canadian Counter-Tariffs on U.S. Goods Taking Effect

 

Today, Canada's dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs went into effect on more than $20 billion of U.S. imports following the breakdown in trade talks between the Canadian government and the Trump Administration last month.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the matter in both English and in French. True to form, Carney spoke intelligently and in complete sentences. He also spoke of the opportunities and the costs. While Canada is pursuing greater trade relationships within Canada and with partners in Europe and Asia, the United States remain a large market and there will be pain. Carney didn't tell Canadians there would be so much winning. 

Canadians have braced for impact and this evening the Trump Administration has announced bans on the import of Canadian alcohol and motorcycles along with 50% tariffs on molasses and motorboats to take effect at the end of the month. Canadian access to the U.S. government procurement programs will also be restricted.

But, for the moment, Carney has goodwill on his side as reflected by an approval rating of 70%. This isn't to say that approval won't fall if Canadians lose their jobs in earnest. But as long as Trump insists on saying "I don't want Canadian anything", demanding Canadian companies do business in the U.S. that already do business in the U.S. and renaming the Great Lakes and being the jerk he is then Canadians will stand with Carney.

Let me put it this way, Canadians are more likely to put up with the pain than Americans and this intolerance could soon be reflected in mid-term election results which will weaken Trump considerably. Should this come to pass, it will strengthen both Canada's stand and its resolve. 

Pat Putnam Was a Small Part of My Baseball Childhood

Former MLB first baseman Pat Putnam passed away on August 25th of natural causes, but his death was not made public until yesterday. He was 72.

Born and raised in Vermont, Putnam's family moved to Florida when he was 8 years old. Putnam would attend Miami Dade College on a baseball scholarship and would be selected by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1974 MLB Draft. However, Putnam opted to transfer to the University of South Alabama where he played under former MLB player and manager Eddie Stanky.

In 1975, Putnam was drafted once more this time by the Texas Rangers and in the first round and the 22nd overall pick in the nation. Putnam quickly became a man on the move. In 1976, while playing for the Single-A Asheville Tourists in the Western Carolina League, Putnam batted .361 with 24 HR and 142 RBI winning the league's Triple Crown and MVP honors. On the strength of this performance, he was promoted to the Triple-AAA Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League batting .301 with 15 HR and 102 RBI.

This would earn Putnam a September call up to the Rangers. When he made his big league debut, Putnam was batting cleanup collecting his first big league hit off future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins who was pitching with the Boston Red Sox at the time. A year later, Jenkins would rejoin the Rangers and become Putnam's teammate.

In 1979, Putnam would become the Rangers' everyday first baseman. That season, Putnam hit .277 with 18 HR and 64 RBI. Those numbers were good enough for him to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place in AL Rookie of the Year balloting with Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Ross Baumgarten and New York Yankees reliever Ron Davis. That year, AL Rookie of the Year honors were shared by infielders Alfredo Griffin and John Castino of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins, respectively.

Unfortunately, Putnam's offense would decline in both the 1980 and 1981 seasons. By 1982, Putnam had lost the starting first base job to up-and-comer Dave Hostetler who had been acquired from the Montreal Expos along with third baseman Larry Parrish in exchange for Al Oliver. Putnam spent much of the 1982 season in Triple-AAA which by this time was in Denver. 

Following the 1982 season, the Rangers would trade Putnam to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitcher Ron Musselman. Putnam responded positively to the trade by hitting a career best 19 HR and 67 RBI along with 126 hits and 23 doubles in 1983 and was voted the team's MVP by his teammates.

However, the Mariners brass was not fully confident in Putnam. In 1984, Putnam would lose the first base job to Ken Phelps in spring training. However, when Phelps went down with an injury, the Mariners chose to go with Alvin Davis who ended up winning AL Rookie of the Year honors. 

Putnam hit .200 in limited action with the Mariners but did catch a break when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins late in the season. Alas, Putnam did not acquit himself well as he went 3 for 38 (.079) in 14 games with the Twins. 

Prior to the 1985 season, Putnam would sign with the Kansas City Royals who would win that year's World Series. But with Steve Balboni ensconced at first base, Putnam would spend the entire season in Triple-AAA with the Omaha Royals of the American Association. 

In 1986 and 1987, Putnam would play in Japan with the Nippon Ham Fighters. He would return to baseball once more in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989 and 1990 where he played in his adopted Fort Myers with the Sun Sox. In parts of 8 MLB seasons, Putnam played in 677 games collecting 508 hits for a lifetime batting average of .255 with 63 HR and 255 RBI.  

For me, Pat Putnam is one of those guys who I remember from baseball cards, NBC's Game of the Week and Zander Hollander's 1980 Complete Handbook of Baseball. It sounds cliche, but Putnam was a small part of my childhood which is getting smaller each and every day. R.I.P.

Aroldis Chapman Records 400th Career Save

Yesterday, Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman recorded his 400th career save in a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Chapman, 38, becomes the 9th pitcher to record 400 or more saves. Among active pitchers, Chapman ranks 3rd in saves behind only Craig Kimbrel of the Kansas City Royals (441) and Kenley Jansen of the Detroit Tigers (493). 

It might be quite a while before another reliever records 400th save. Among active relievers after Chapman, Atlanta Braves closer Raisel Iglesias has 284 saves followed by Edwin Diaz of the Los Angeles Dodgers with 260 and Josh Hader of the Houston Astros with 250. No other active reliever has more than 200 saves.

Since joining the Red Sox last year, the Cuban born southpaw has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance. In 67 appearances in 2025, Chapman recorded 32 saves with a 1.17 ERA striking out 85 batters in 61.1 innings pitched. Those numbers were enough to earn him some votes for the AL Cy Young. In 2026, Chapman has recorded 33 saves with a 2.03 ERA with 65 strikeouts over 48.2 innings pitched in 50 appearances. 

With 17 games left on the schedule, Chapman has an outside chance of recording a career high in saves. In 2012 and 2013, while with the Cincinnati Reds, Chapman earned 38 saves. It would be remarkable if Chapman could eclipse that total and perhaps even have a 40 save season for the first time in his 17-year MLB career.

Of course, I'm sure Chapman would prefer a third World Series ring having earned one with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and one with the Texas Rangers in 2023 as trade deadline addition in both cases. I'm sure earning a World Series ring with a club he has been with the entire season would take on a whole different meaning. 

There is a mutual option between Chapman and the Red Sox for the 2027 season. That is assuming there is a 2027 season.

Whatever the future holds, Chapman has a very good case for Cooperstown.

AfD's Triumph in Saxony-Anhalt Should Surprise No One & Appall Everyone

I am appalled though not surprised about AfD's electoral victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt last night.

After all, last year they became Germany's official opposition. At the time, I asked, "How long will it be before they come to power?"

While it is true they do not have a majority, there is a very good chance they will play a significant, if not a leading role in governing the state. No doubt this is something that will please the Trump Administration particularly JD Vance even if it means the AfD must partner with the far left BSW. It would only prove there is truly no difference between the Far Right and the Far Left.

Although Saxony-Anhalt will most likely become an anti-immigrant breeding ground and a beachhead for Moscow, I mainly worry about its anti-Semitism in view of its opposition to circumcision and preparation of kosher meat and its longstanding tolerance of Holocaust deniers. 

Like Trumpism, AfD looks for easy answers to complicated problems. Easy answers are the wrong answers. 

Unfortunately, the people of Saxony-Anhalt will find this out the hard way.