Macomb Mayor Mike Inman faced strong pushback Monday during a city council meeting after calling for a moment of silence to honor far-right conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was recently murdered.
Kirk, 31, was a prominent conservative activist and founder of the organization Turning Point USA. He was shot and killed last week during a rally in Utah, where he lived with his family. A man, Tyler Robinson, has been arrested and charged.
Inman also referenced a shooting at a Catholic school in Colorado that killed two children, as well as an unrelated murder of a man in Texas. He described Kirk as “a 31-year-old father of two in the state of Utah.”
“Something has to change,” Inman said. “I’d like to call a moment of silence for all these victims and their families who were so violently affected by last week’s events.”
Alderman Byron Shabazz addressed Inman directly at the meeting’s conclusion. Visibly emotional, Shabazz said he was hurt by the gesture but acknowledged his friendship and respect for the mayor.
Shabazz said Kirk’s “banner was racism, sexism, violence, anti-anybody other than a white man.”
“This man [Kirk] bred violence and died that way,” Shabazz said, looking at Inman. “But I have to say, as a Black person, particularly here in this setting alone, it was hard to hear that—truly—because I respect you so much... There’s no good you can find from that individual.”
Shabazz clarified that he was speaking for himself, not the entire council.
“For such a reprehensible person to be honored, that’s such a slap in the face of every war we’ve fought in,” Shabazz said. “Every movement we’ve had and everything we gained came from resistance. So to side with the person that’s at the head now of resistance, that was hard to stomach. I’ll close there with that.”
Inman, maintaining a stoic demeanor, responded simply, “Thank you, Alderman Shabazz.”
After the meeting, longtime Alderman Dave Dorsett offered a more measured perspective but expressed concerns. He said he was initially persuaded by Inman’s general grouping of the referenced events.
“However, I certainly don’t have the lived experience of Councilmember Shabazz and can see where he would have a much more visceral reaction than I,” Dorsett told Community News. “It’s unfortunate that, even at our level, the current conditions have become so volatile. It goes to prove that Mayor Inman’s bigger point, lost in the moment, is correct. Things have to change.”
Dorsett also cited policies of former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, known for his moderate approach, who passed away this week.
“Late Gov. Jim Edgar said about the current temperature, ‘That’s dangerous. And that’s not productive. It’s about the three C’s... civility, compromise, and perhaps most importantly, particularly today, is compassion.’”
Shabazz's entire statement can be seen at the 38-minute mark.
