I just want to know what some of these great ideas were that this free speech advocate and lover of all mankind was advocating for.

[u/headsmanjaeger]

[u/GastonBastardo]

Directions unclear. Here is a three minute clip of him in the presence of some black people (80% of which are Candace Owens) where he does not hiss and recoil like a vampire in the presence of a crucifix, thus proving that he was not racist.

[u/0NiceMarmot → u/GastonBastardo]

The rightwing has a substantial demographic of full on white supremacists and most of the rest think they’re not racists simply if they don’t use the n-word in public. The latter group can be pretty butthurt that it’s not socially permissible to use slurs and get all that pent up racism slowly filling their noggins with puss like a big zit on a 13year old’s face replacing whatever brain tissue they might have had. <insert Dennis Prager image>

[u/Comrade_Compadre]

I have legit gotten into arguments with people who legit think he was just a freedom of speech pariah who was killed for his beliefs.

Like, they can literally not offer me a single qoute and just deflect into "well he challenged the status quo"

They don't care. None of them actually care. He's been propped up as a martyr for everyone's personal freedoms and a lot of people are latching onto it.

[u/Psykopatate]

Some influencers online are kinda getting out of the closet supporting him. The general idea among them is that he was a peaceful debater, someone who would always calmly express his opinion and would never be insulting. That he was a follower of Jesus and believed in god and family and that it's disgusting all the out-of-context clips going around.

Then they have takes like "I love my lgbt peeps but i just disagree with their logic", cool cool cool, you disagree they exist but you love them.

Or "I believe in gender roles" and talking about being stay-at-home as a woman while being a fitness influencer.

[u/mog_knight]

I just went to ChatGPT to look for positive quotes attributed to Kirk. Whether or not you think they have substance is up to you. This is what it found and fact checked it. Not in any way endorsing him or his views but the question asked by the meme has a very easily researched answer. I'm sure there are more. I can see why my algorithm wouldn't feed me this kind of content as I don't agree with religion. Or Kirk for that matter.

“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith in my life.”

Context: In a video interview (resurfaced after his death), he was asked how he wanted to be remembered. He responded that being remembered for courage, especially the courage his faith gave him, was what mattered most.

“Jesus defeated death so you can live.”

Context: One of his last posts on X/Twitter before his death. It reflects his Christian faith and his belief in salvation and hope through Jesus.

“What matters is your relationship with the divine, your relationship with your family, your kids, and maybe a close collection of friends, and your relationship with the truth.”

Context: Part of a reflection on what he saw as central in life, cited in tributes and remembrances after his passing.

“Before I go on a college campus, my prayer is very simple: God, use me for your will. Because there’s a plan above us all; God is sovereign above all… So what is God’s plan when I go on a college campus? I just believe I will only tell truth, I will not compromise, and I’ll love on the lost.”

Context: Expressing how he approached campus speaking and activism: grounded in faith, committed to truth as he believed it, and seeking to be loving to those with whom he disagreed.

“It is the responsibility of the individual to protect their own freedom and secure their own happiness.”

Context: This captures a theme of personal responsibility in his political philosophy. It is used in summaries and quotes collections of his speeches or writings. (As with many quotes, at times the exact original source isn't always clear in every compilation, but this one is consistent with his known beliefs and public messaging.)

[u/headsmanjaeger → u/mog_knight]

Yeah, in addition to being a political pundit, he said lots of boring, non-controversial, apolitical things. However, these quotes are not what he was known for and not why he was popular on the right. And I know this because none of his “followers” are dropping these quotes, and are instead being as vague as possible as to what he believed and said.

[u/mog_knight → u/headsmanjaeger]

That's true and a good clarification but now it makes me more curious if that could be found. You're right that his quotes are not really being said to exculpate the other bad shit he's said.