I will not be joining the state-mandated mourning on October 14 for the podcaster murdered in Utah two weeks ago.
Instead, I ask you to join me — and the thousands of others who refuse to bow to this charade — in rallying against racism and white supremacy on that same day. It is not accidental that the date chosen for this national spectacle falls on October 14, the birthday of George Floyd. That day should be spent honoring Floyd’s legacy, not sanctifying a man whose career was built on amplifying white nationalist talking points.
We have seen this playbook before.
In Nazi Germany, the death of Horst Wessel, a street brawler for Hitler’s movement, was weaponized into myth, elevated into a national day of mourning, and wielded as a cudgel to silence dissent.
His funeral became a rallying cry, a pretext for purging opponents and branding critics of the regime as enemies of the state.
Today, Trump is attempting to force America into its own Horst Wessel moment: canonizing a figure of the far right to manufacture legitimacy, demanding public reverence as proof of loyalty, and using state power to shame or punish anyone who refuses to comply.
Our resistance must be loud, clear, and uncompromising. We cannot allow white nationalists to be whitewashed into martyrs. We cannot allow their deaths to become propaganda tools to erase the violence they fueled in life.
Over the last two weeks, while this pageant of forced mourning has been prepared, I have spent too many hours reporting death threats and rape threats to the police. There have been hundreds. They come in waves, ranging from vague insinuations to graphic promises of violence. I am sharing some of them below, because silence only serves the people who want us afraid.
This is not just about one man’s murder — it is about the attempt to turn his death into a symbol to intimidate and control. That’s why we must stand together, reject this authoritarian theater, and make clear that America will not march quietly into its own Horst Wessel myth.
The two posts that drove this insanity?
My note here, and the below tweet:
For the first time since I started using Xitter five years ago, I’ll breach the 100 million mark. And while 90% of the feedback has been positive, the 10% that’s not has been fueled by grotesque smears and sexual harassment.
For the last two days, most of it seems to be coming from a man named Anthony Donovan Schork, who goes by the name “Amiri King” online. Schork is a felon who was convicted of armed robbery, who has a history of domestic violence charges, and, according to GROK, was arrested two years ago for soliciting a minor for sex.
A violent pedophile with a platform about the same size as my own, at least on Xitter.
He created a graphic falsely accusing me of being arrested for public nudity, possession of methamphetamine, and prostitution.
Of course Xitter won’t remove the post even though Xitter’s system stated clearly that his posts are completely fabricated.
My home address has been widely publicized because of violent, dangerous, woman-hating men like Schork.
They’ve contacted agencies I’m associated with in an attempt to have me removed from state appointments. Those attempts have thus far failed.
Help amplify this newsletter and my voice so we can continue to push back against this violence.
Rebeka, I am disgusted and angered by these revolting threats against you. Cowardice is rampant on the internet. I am so very, very sorry for all of this. I, too, feel like this Charlie Kirk forced mourning is merely a spectacle for the Trumpers. They are whitewashing this guy. To be honest, I didn't really even know who he was until recently. Now, I am being told by friends who have grade-school children, that the schools are holding moments of silence for him. I fear their movement will provoke much more violence.
You hateful commenters are clearly not christians or any iteration of the word. They either are not really Kirk's followers and are simply trolls, or this wing of Kirk's follower's are simply trolls. The truth(not found on TV or truth social) will eventually set us free, so I will keep posting it in my yard and on the street. Thank you Rebekah!