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Why Gov. Cox called social media ‘a cancer on our society right now’
Deseret News ^ | September 12,2025 | Lois M. Collins

Posted on 09/12/2025 2:59:11 PM PDT by CedarDave

Key Points:

Announcing that a suspect in the Charlie Kirk murder is in custody Friday morning, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox spoke earnestly about what he called “moral clarity,” “internet fury” and the need to disconnect from social media and devices and to connect instead with one another.

He called social media “a cancer on our society right now,” describing the murder as “one so gruesomely displayed on camera in all of our hands and in all of our pockets. We are not wired as human beings biologically; historically we have not evolved in a way that we are capable of processing those types of violent imagery.”

Nor is the viral sharing of Kirk being shot the only example, he said, noting “we’ve seen another one with a gruesome stabbing very recently that went viral. This is not good for us. It is not good to consume.”

Cox is encouraging people to “log off, turn off, touch grass. Hug a family member. Get out and do good in your community” and added that it’s already happening “organically right now,” citing a friend in a small Utah city who told him that Democrats and Republicans are getting together for a discussion “just to find a way to find their better angels.”

This is the moment, according to the governor, who asked whether those at odds politically would “escalate or do we find an off-ramp?” He called that “a choice that everyone gets to make.”

(Excerpt) Read more at deseret.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: censorship; charliecox; rightthink; spencercox; spencercuck; utah; violence
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Well said, Governor. His comments are well worth spending a few minutes to listen to. The link below starts at minute 6:02 of this morning's news conference.

Gov. Spencer Cox Full Statement: “Political Assassination” of Charlie Kirk

1 posted on 09/12/2025 2:59:11 PM PDT by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave
Some more of the Governor's words:

Earlier in his remarks, while describing the arrest of the suspect, Cox praised Utah for the absence of looting and rioting and violence in the aftermath of the shooting that killed Kirk at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, noting that instead “there were vigils and prayers and people coming together to share the humanity — and that, ladies and gentlemen, I believe is the answer to this."

He also rebutted the oft-heard phrase that “words are violence.” Instead, he said, “Words are not violence. Violence is violence and there is one person responsible for what happened here and that person is now in custody and will be charged soon and will be held accountable,” Cox said during the early-morning news conference.

“And yet all of us have an opportunity right now to do something different.”

2 posted on 09/12/2025 3:03:41 PM PDT by CedarDave (An old saw: “How do you know Democrats are lying? Their lips are moving.”)
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To: CedarDave

Never heard of him before but I can’t say I disagree with much he’s said recently.

What’s his party affiliation?

Maybe he’s taking manhood lessons from DeSantis.....


3 posted on 09/12/2025 3:05:21 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: CedarDave

Oh God,

Here comes the appeal for censorship to “save the children.”


4 posted on 09/12/2025 3:06:49 PM PDT by Red6
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To: CedarDave

Im not familiar with Governor Cox obviously since Im not from Utah but have been very impressed by him these past few days, he has done a great job and he is absolutely right about how social media is a cancer, you see the most vile, despicable comments online that they would never say to someone’s face but they feel comfortable saying it online. This is why my sister wont allow my 10 yr old nephew to have any social media, no tik tok, no youtube, he plays games but only games that there is NO online access involved, he used to play Roblux but he became too obsessed with it so she cut him off he hasnt touched it in years


5 posted on 09/12/2025 3:07:59 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: CedarDave

The internet made people lazy. Social media sites are shallow and a waste of people’s precious time. I tried Parler, then Gab when Parler got knocked offline, then Gettr. Rarely posted anything. When Truth Social allowed people to sign up on their computers, I joined that too. It’s probably been well over a year that I quit them all. I got nothing out of them. Been here 26 years, and will be here until the day I die. I’d rather be reading books than wasting time on social media.


6 posted on 09/12/2025 3:09:19 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: CedarDave
Some truth in that. The First Amendment is not absolute.

For a while, we've been treating like it is. And maybe we shouldn't do that.

7 posted on 09/12/2025 3:09:36 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: CedarDave
Irony at its finest...

Republican revolt over Utah governor after explosive Charlie Kirk feud revealed

The 2022 social media blast came after Cox vetoed a bill banning biological males from women's sports — a move that infuriated Kirk and conservative activists.
Now friends of the slain activist find it 'ironic' that the same governor Kirk wanted kicked out of the GOP pushed aside FBI officials to control the narrative around his death.
Dueling narratives!

Be a man! Cut your balls off and be a woman. /sarcasm

8 posted on 09/12/2025 3:13:12 PM PDT by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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yes and a bigger no...

be wary of those suggesting censorship of the “hateful” voices


9 posted on 09/12/2025 3:15:52 PM PDT by Gene Eric
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To: CedarDave
Gov. Cox called social media ‘a cancer on our society right now

What did Cox say about big television media who've been peddling lies and hate for decades?

10 posted on 09/12/2025 3:20:52 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: CedarDave

The Governor isn’t wrong.


11 posted on 09/12/2025 3:22:28 PM PDT by Bob Wills is still the king
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To: CedarDave

Isn’t this the squish who wanted men dressed like women in women’s sports and minor trans surgery in the state of Utah.

I think that’s the social cancer.


12 posted on 09/12/2025 3:22:46 PM PDT by CaptainK ("No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up” )
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To: CaptainK

You are totally wrong, Cox supported lege prohibiting boys in girl’s lockers etc


13 posted on 09/12/2025 3:49:17 PM PDT by RWGinger
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To: CedarDave

Social Media = Populism

They hate populism.

That’s why they are poisoning social media with AI ‘bots.


14 posted on 09/12/2025 4:21:46 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
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To: CaptainK

Isn’t this the squish who wanted men dressed like women in women’s sports and minor trans surgery in the state of Utah.

/

Why yes, it is.

A favorite of the vile left and rinos alike.

But I repeat myself.


15 posted on 09/12/2025 4:23:17 PM PDT by cuz1961
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To: RWGinger

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2022/03/22/gov-spencer-coxs/


16 posted on 09/12/2025 5:03:59 PM PDT by CaptainK ("No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up” )
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To: CedarDave

It’s not Social Media, it’s the RAT Party.


17 posted on 09/12/2025 6:46:41 PM PDT by abbastanza (Oh boy. Can't wait. Go nuts kids. )
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To: CedarDave

Social Media is the only thing saving some of these nuts from a throat punch.


18 posted on 09/13/2025 1:07:40 AM PDT by BlackbirdSST (FTL)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Populism = mob rule. And we all know how that ends.


19 posted on 09/13/2025 1:20:27 PM PDT by Sirloin (If you don't know how anything works, everything looks like a conspiracy.)
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To: Sirloin
Populism = mob rule.

BS. The most "popular" candidate is the one who wins the election. How is that "mob rule?"

Populism is a political ideology that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.

The opposite of populism is elitism, the political ideology that asserts the governed are not qualified to choose political leaders from among their ranks and that the only legitimate political leaders come from an entitled, hereditary, criminal political class.

20 posted on 09/13/2025 1:26:12 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Je suis Charlie Kirk.)
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