I see a number of people have lost their jobs over publicly celebrating Charlie Kirk’s murder. It raises the question (for me, anyway) of whether that constitutes “cancel culture”. I’m generally a free speech absolutist, but I could see how an employer might not want to be associated with gloating over an assassination.

IÂ’m generally inclined to believe that if a personÂ’s views, however repugnant, have no direct connection to their function then attacking their livelihood doesnÂ’t seem justified. On the other hand, I could see firing an academic for endorsing a killing on campus as reasonable. Of course, thereÂ’s probably a genuine interest an employer might have a legitimate interest in not wanting their organization identified with positive views of murder. There may be a qualitative difference in taking joy in a killing and views on transgender athletes or reparations for slavery.