Political philosopher Dr. Michael Bailey and host Dale McConkey reflect on the public murder of Charlie Kirk and a week already heavy with 9/11 remembrances. With humility about their limits and the fluid facts, they focus not on speculation but on what our reactions to this tragedy reveal about us as a people. Michael outlines three tensions—legal individual responsibility, our deep cultural formation, and our tendency toward selective outrage—urging listeners to reject collective guilt while owning the culture our words help create. The episode models nuance over performative anger, invites local, relationship-level work across differences, and shares classroom practices that honor opposing views. Throughout, the tone stays pastoral and gentle: they acknowledge grief plainly, encourage civility without naiveté, and hold hope alongside lament.

The views expressed on American Angst are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.