by BRIAN LOCKHART

The Simpsons is the longest-running animated TV show in history, having debuted in December 1989.

I used to watch the show, but haven't really seen it in years.

The Simpsons may be a cartoon, but if you really watch it, many episodes are very clever.

The series has a reputation for predicting the future. Many episodes have storylines that, oddly enough, came true later.

There was one clever episode that aired years ago as part of the show's annual Halloween trilogy of spooky fantasy shows.

For reasons I can't remember, all the advertising logos in town came to life. The giant statues were terrorizing the town and causing destruction all over Springfield.

Finally, Lisa Simpson, the eight-year-old prodigy of the show, along with singer Paul Anka, for some reason, comes up with a solution.

“Just don't look,” they tell the residents of Springfield.  

When the local residents turn their backs on the advertising logos and refuse to acknowledge them, they all collapse and are no longer a threat.

That, of course, is a real thing. Advertising only works if someone takes notice of the ads for a product or service. If no one takes note, advertising won't work.

The same is true in the world of politics.

If a local communist party member was going to deliver a speech, I wouldn't be interested in what they were going to say, so I wouldn't attend a rally.

Even if I decided to attend, just to hear what they were going to preach about, I certainly wouldn't go back a second time if I disagreed with their rhetoric.

Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood in front of 3,000 supporters on a university campus in Utah last week. A single bullet ripped through his neck, snuffing out his life as fast as blowing out a candle.

He was a political activist, author, and media personality.

To be honest, before this assassination was reported, I didn't know the name Charlie Kirk.

I do recall seeing a couple of videos that came across my video feed over the last few months that featured him speaking at different campuses. However, I didn't really know who he was.

He came across as very intelligent, poised, well-researched, calm, and confident.

When one of the students would challenge him, his response was quick and made sense from his point of view, he used a common-sense type of approach and turned the tables very quickly.

Charlie Kirk apparently had quite the following. There were also people who didn't like his way of thinking.

That's politics. Not everyone is going to agree with you.

For some reason, people who didn't agree with his philosophy or beliefs kept showing up when he was speaking on a campus.

Why would you attend a rally that was opposed to your way of thinking or lifestyle? Just stay away.

The investigation into this murder is still in the early stages, but a suspect is already in custody.

A headline in Saturday's news already predicted he would be facing a firing squad in Utah. There hasn't even been a trial, and the news media are already predicting the sentence and final outcome.

The suspect is a 22-year-old man who, at least with the current information, acted alone.

Was this another guy who figured he would become a folk hero in the eyes of certain people and revel in the glory of his admirers, or is he just an angry kook with access to a deadly weapon?

This suspect, if he did it, has accomplished nothing good here – nothing good at all.

A young man is dead for his beliefs. A young woman is now a widow, and two very young children will never know their father.

The suspect, according to US Customs, if convicted, will never have a free day for the rest of his life.

Maybe 30 years from now, if he isn't beaten to death in prison, he will be sitting in his 8x4 cell at some super-max prison and reflect on his decision to kill a man in cold blood.

He will realize his actions resulted in him never getting married, never having a family, missing family weddings and events, and not being able to attend his parents' funerals. He will never again speak to a childhood friend or go to a high school reunion.

He will not be able to make a single decision for himself for the rest of his life. He will never go out for dinner at a restaurant, visit Europe, or spend a day at the beach.

What a waste.

One man is dead, another man's life is ruined, and countless other people's lives are affected in a negative and horrible way.

What a waste.