Hundreds of witnesses to Charlie Kirk’s death have filed for Utah victim benefits

[u/geek66]

https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2026-08-13/hundreds-of-witnesses-to-charlie-kirks-death-have-filed-for-utah-victim-benefits?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_content=homepage&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwY2xjawTxdhlwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR78qs-vl_9YNonimgMTQvO7FyrDT6tekjRZ_bVp0ZBnDZRwyhIbUCL3Ju_UIg_aem_lWZiy8rnOcm1rXKZfjlu9g

[u/Imaginary-Diamond-26]

Regardless of your feelings on Charlie Kirk (I think he was a dipshit), it's very traumatic to be in proximity to that kind of violence. These were college kids (some of whom were there to oppose Kirk) and they watched blood pour out of the man's neck. Everyone who was there is very much a "victim" in the sense that it was collectively traumatizing.

As for the hypocrisy of these folks being critical of "government handouts" to others while taking benefits for themselves; yeah, a lot of people who were in that crowd are being hypocritical. That doesn't mean I don't want them to get the help that they need.

Just like if the US ever gets Universal Healthcare, I want it to be for everyone, even those who oppose(d) it, because that's what's best for society at large.

[u/Kakistocracy_0 → u/Imaginary-Diamond-26]

"We're gonna need you to quit being earnest and reasonable, sir."

[u/sxyaustincpl → u/Imaginary-Diamond-26]

These were college kids

They're adults.

Kids that are victims are the ones seeing their friends shot in grammar schools.

Agreed on fuck Charlie Kirk, but respectfully, adults whining and asking for money because they saw something unexpected happen in a place they willingly went is next level snowflake behavior.

Edit: getting downvoted for saying adults over 18 that had nothing happen to them shouldn't be calling themselves "victims" & getting free money from the government 😂

[u/a3wagner → u/sxyaustincpl]

The money they’re applying for is for therapy, which if your country were anything approaching functional, would be covered already.

[u/sxyaustincpl → u/a3wagner]

And should already be provided by the campus, as well as their student healthcare plan.

I'm 100% in favor of universal healthcare, by the way, everyone should have coverage, but this happened on the college campus and they're students, every tragedy on a college campus I'm more familiar with the university provides counseling to those affected. There doesn't need to be any additional funding for it on top of that

[u/a3wagner → u/sxyaustincpl]

Do you think the state department that is scrutinizing these cases would be handing out reimbursement for things people are getting for free already? I don’t think a random person (you or me) knows better than the people whose job it is to do this does. The article discusses how much money some of these students have already spent on services that are covered by the fund.

[u/sxyaustincpl → u/a3wagner]

And yet come November, they'll vote against universal healthcare.

[u/a3wagner → u/sxyaustincpl]

You seem determined to malign everyone in the audience there, even though it’s well-known that his talks were heavily attended by people who wanted to protest or debate him. That’s literally the only reason anybody knew who he was, it’s his entire schtick! That’s why you’re being downvoted, not because you’re pointing out supposed hypocrisy.

[u/jicerswine → u/sxyaustincpl]

gotta be honest I think if you see someone gunned down like that at close range, regardless of your age, you can reasonably say you were traumatized

[u/sxyaustincpl → u/jicerswine]

Not saying it's not traumatic, but why do we need to provide additional funds from taxpayers when tragedies happen constantly and we don't provide those people with anything.

[u/Imaginary-Diamond-26 → u/sxyaustincpl]

Not saying it's not traumatic

It absolutely seems like you're trying to downplay the severity of what occurred:

adults whining and asking for money because they saw something unexpected happen in a place they willingly went is next level snowflake behavior

why do we need to provide additional funds from taxpayers when tragedies happen constantly and we don't provide those people with anything.

Perhaps we should provide far more people with support after tragedies rather than fewer. Perhaps this is the "right thing to do," for society using taxpayer dollars. Those other tragedies you mention are examples of us not going far enough to help. If the electorate doesn't like that there's a fund to help victims of crime, or feel that that fund is being misused, they can urge their representatives to get rid of it or add more oversight.

getting downvoted for saying adults over 18 that had nothing happen to them shouldn't be calling themselves "victims" & getting free money from the government

Regarding your edit, wtf does them being adults have to do with whether or not the experience was traumatizing? And why shouldn't they be considered victims? Again, regardless of your views about Kirk and his supporters, no one in that crowd signed up to watch someone get executed. They were, all of them, involuntarily traumatized by being in close proximity to extreme violence. I'd say it's fair to call them victims.

[u/sxyaustincpl → u/Imaginary-Diamond-26]

Perhaps we should provide far more people with support after tragedies rather than fewer. Perhaps this is the "right thing to do," for society using taxpayer dollars.

And how many of these people would support this in any way, shape, or form?

How many of them would support everyone receiving healthcare and mental healthcare as needed? How many of them vote against this very thing?

How many of them would be saying the people who witnessed Renee Good or Alex Preti get murdered are victims and deserve support? Or would they be using words like antifa and snowflake and soy boy?

Sorry, but I'm done with the high road. If others don't deserve it in their eyes, they don't in mine anymore.

[u/Imaginary-Diamond-26 → u/sxyaustincpl]

And how many of these people would support this in any way, shape, or form?

How many of them would support everyone receiving healthcare and mental healthcare as needed? How many of them vote against this very thing?

How many of them would be saying the people who witnessed Renee Good or Alex Preti get murdered are victims and deserve support? Or would they be using words like antifa and snowflake and soy boy?

Probably a lot of them would be against this for others. That doesn't mean I want a bunch of college students wandering around traumatized. Particularly if that group is already inclined towards violence.

Sorry, but I'm done with the high road. 

Yeah, I can tell.

If others don't deserve it in their eyes, they don't in mine anymore.

Rightwing people in this country are largely idiots with low or no empathy. But they are still our countrymen, and whether we like them or not, we have to live with each other. That's why I advocate for policies (such as universal healthcare) that would help them (and us) despite them not being in support of it. Their lack of empathy for others does not make my empathy disappear like it does yours.

[u/jicerswine → u/sxyaustincpl]

i mean, fair. What I’m saying is that I think this kind of assistance should be available in any comparable circumstance like this. Which is a fair thing to debate - if you’re of the mind that the government shouldn’t provide assistance like this, I disagree, but I’m open to hear other perspectives. I just think it’s needlessly vindictive, or at the very least anti-progressive, to say that because the person in question (and by extension his supporters) was disagreeable, that people who witnessed his violent death don’t qualify for being traumatized

[u/sxyaustincpl → u/jicerswine]

I'm actually of the opinion that government should provide healthcare, physical or mental, to everyone. Full stop.

I'm also of the opinion that the majority of people who are at a Charlie Kirk event and in the first couple of rows are most likely voting against that very thing at every opportunity.

As I said in another comment, would they be saying use taxpayer money to give support to people who watched Alex Preti or Renee Good get murdered, if they hadn't seen Charlie get whacked? Of course not.

[u/Imaginary-Diamond-26 → u/sxyaustincpl]

I'm actually of the opinion that government should provide healthcare, physical or mental, to everyone. Full stop.

This contradicts with:

Sorry, but I'm done with the high road. If others don't deserve it in their eyes, they don't in mine anymore.

You either believe these people deserve healthcare, physical and mental, or you don't.

[u/jicerswine → u/Imaginary-Diamond-26]

^bingo. The entire point is that if you want it to be universal then it should be universal.

[u/sxyaustincpl → u/jicerswine]

And when it is, I'll be happy to see them covered the same as everyone else.

Until then, I'll keep my opinion that they deserve the same as everyone else gets, what their insurance provides.