Despite bipartisan condemnation, two Democrat city councilmembers in Fort Worth are defending Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck after her controversial post in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Beck posted a screenshot of a Newsweek headline quoting Kirk on firearm deaths and the Second Amendment, with the word “Unfortunate” scrawled over his image. The post was quickly deleted but drew swift criticism across Fort Worth.
“But what I find truly reprehensible, though, is when elected officials, whom we hold to higher standards, join in on this kind of rhetoric. One of my colleagues, Councilwoman Beck, posted something along these lines. While I am glad she promptly deleted it, it was still disappointing,” Councilman Charles Lauersdorf wrote on Facebook.
“Yesterday we saw the worst example of this by one of my fellow Council Members, essentially condoning violence because of someone’s political views. It is very clear that the killing of Charlie Kirk was a political assassination, and there is no justification for evil,” Mayor Mattie Parker said in a statement.
However, not all councilmembers shared the mayor’s view. Democrats Chris Nettles and Deborah Peoples came to her defense.
“The Councilmember in question used the word ‘unfortunate’ in a post related to yesterday’s tragic incident. That is not condoning violence — it’s acknowledging a tragic reality. To twist that word into an endorsement of violence is disingenuous and inflammatory,” Nettles said in a statement.
“Our Mayor’s statement about a fellow council member today is dangerous. Rather than working to heal and bring the city together her statement seeks to divide. I came on the council with a clear heart and mind aimed at bridging divides not stoking fires,” Peoples wrote on Facebook.
The Dallas Express reached out to Councilmembers Peoples and Nettles for additional comment but received no response.
