His killing serves as a stark reminder that words, once released into the public sphere, carry consequences far beyond their intended targets. It has been carefully cultivated through years of increasingly inflammatory rhetoric that treats political opponents not as fellow citizens with different viewpoints, but as existential threats to be vanquished. This rhetoric has found fertile ground in social media echo chambers and cable news programs that prioritize engagement over enlightenment, clicks over civility. The biblical principle that “you reap what you sow” applies not just to individuals but to our entire political ecosystem. Yet recognizing the role that inflammatory rhetoric plays in fueling polarization does not mean silencing dissent or restricting free speech.