ST. CHARLES COUNTY — The St. Charles County Council unanimously approved a resolution denouncing political violence on Monday, but one of its sponsors admits the resolution fell short of his desired goal of “lowering the temperature” of political tension here.
“I think it is a step in the right direction, and gave us a chance to take a stand that political violence is wrong,” said County Councilman Mike Elam, R-Dardenne Prairie.
He acknowledged the two-page resolution, which largely focused on conservative activist Charlie Kirk, could have been amended to include more details about the legacy and contributions of the two Minnesota politicians, Speaker of the House Emerita Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffmann, who were both shot in June. Hortman was killed, as was her husband.
“Even if we did that, I think there would still be people unhappy with this,” Elam said. “We attempted to be fair, but the temperature in this country’s political rhetoric is just too high right now.”
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He also said the county would send a resolution to both Kirk’s family and the family of the Minnesota politicians, but he wasn’t sure how to reach them.
“And I was not thrilled by the public comment on either side,” Elam said. “I didn’t feel that the words that people were using were the least bit helpful or encouraged us to listen to one another.”
Instead, people at the meeting openly chastised each other for their views.
Some described Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was shot and killed earlier this month, as “this generation’s Martin Luther King Jr.” and that anyone who criticized Kirk was “divisive,” “ignorant” and “heartless.” Others said they viewed Kirk as “a Christian martyr and an American hero.”
“It seems almost crazy then that anyone would not want honor this resolution,” said David Robertson, who lives in Jefferson County but who spoke at the meeting.
But others spoke out against the resolution, describing Kirk as someone who had “racist, homophobic and antisemitic” views. During their public comments, they read quotes they attributed to Kirk on capital punishment, LGBTQ-rights, Jewish Americans and Black women to members of the County Council.
Patricia Tracy, of O’Fallon, said she doubted her comments would persuade anyone on the council to vote against the resolution.
“It is important to show up,” Tracy said. She along with fellow speaker, Susan Clark, of Chesterfield, scoffed at Elam’s hopes that it would lower the political tension in the county.
“I don’t see how it could possibly lower the temperature,” Clark said. “This didn’t lower it — it only escalated it.”
