Emmure's Frankie Palmeri On Those Celebrating The Death Of Charlie Kirk: "That To Me Is Pure Evil"

Those following Emmure vocalist Frankie Palmeri on social media in recent weeks may have noticed a decided shift in the nature of his posts. While fighting games, Japanese culture and more have long been celebrated passions of his, posts made on his X account as of late have become decidedly more political. To that end, Palmeri has recently been resharing posts from right-wing figures and more. A sampling of some of the posts he reshared this week can be found below:

This morning, seemingly spurred by discussion of his views, Palmeri publicly addressed his political and societal stances in a lengthy statement issued via his X account. In it he shared his thoughts on the assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk and the reaction to it. Palmeri also opened up on the consequences he faced for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine amid the pandemic and more, while elaborating on his views on terrorism and his hopes for a better future. His statement reads as follows:

“I don’t really care to engage anymore about politics, but I can gladly say that it wasn’t the death of Charlie Kirk that opened my eyes to the sickness in this world. I’ve known how broken it is for a long time. Charlie wasn’t a guy I followed or paid attention to closely, but his online presence certainly created a parasocial awareness that couldn’t be ignored.

In a country incredibly divided, he seemed like (and was) a guy who was willing to talk to anyone with the intention of showing that discourse is the best way for people to take that divide and at least coexist within it. Not to mention the hearts and minds he did reach across the country and even the world. To see such heartless and callous celebration of a life needlessly taken. To see the same brand of “human” smiling, making jokes, proudly celebrating his demise, that to me is pure evil.

You can pretend there’s no patterns. No overlapping ideology, aesthetic, or attitude, but there is. To be honest, I wish I knew a lot less about everything that’s been happening the last 5 years, I’m grateful to have people in my life who aren’t fully aware of current events and can regulate themselves enough to be a friend while also understanding my point of view. I would and am still friends with people who don’t align completely with my ideals or values.

That being said , I never fully recovered watching the country get looted and burned due while also being treated like a second-class citizen because I wouldn’t take a “COVID Vaccine.” Like MANY others, I witnessed so much senseless chaos, all the while I was barred from my line of work, I lost money, I lost time, I wasn’t allowed in many spaces because I didn’t have my “vaccine proof” papers.

The same “people” who screamed about “the science” and viciously screamed at me to wear a mask in public, are the same “people” who were happy to kick me out of every facet of society, as they continue on with their remote jobs and blind compliance, pushing their false sense of superiority on me and laughing as I suffer, are the same “people” telling me it’s good Charlie Kirk is dead. Not hyperbole. The same exact “humans.”

So, now that we’re here, now that the entire world has seen what these people are, it’s time the roles get reversed. I’m not violent (by choice), I don’t make threats, but I do want these “people” gone for good. Banished to the darkest corners in this life so that the rest of us can carry on. I fully accept what people will think of me because I’m choosing to stand up, but I’ve had enough abuse, and even more so, I’m tired of others being abused.

If anything you’ve just read pissed you off, news flash, it’s you creating the problems in this world. This isn’t right-wing propaganda bleeding through your screen. This is just cold truth. I could go on and on about what I disagree with on both sides of the spectrum. I don’t even believe there should be a two party system, but however extreme that idea might sound to you, you know what’s actually extreme? Being happy, someone was killed just because you didn’t like what they had to say.

Even if in some hypothetical fantasy world where we find out the whole thing is fake, the conspiracy nuts are all correct and it’s just another staged event to beckon the dark waves of human division, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s objectively wrong to cheer when an innocent person is killed. It’s barbarianism at best and a glimpse of hell at its worse.

I want to live in a world and want the future generations to live in a world that accepts the truth, works on spiritual growth, shows compassion for those we don’t associate with and wants to create peace through debate, but it seems like it’s an entire section of society that doesn’t want that, they will only accept the penance of blood, as they have proven. I have never gone after anyone for their political and social compass. I just want terrorism to end. If you support anything that remotely sympathizes with terror, you’re the enemy.”

Palmeri himself had early experience with being canceled back in 2012 when his Cold Soul merch line raised various complaints for its design choices. One of those shirts featured a picture of the shooters in the Columbine High School Massacre with the caption ‘shoot first ask questions last’ on the back.

Palmeri would later address the controversy, downplaying claims that the line was glorifying violence and racism. In 2018, years removed from the Cold Soul controversy, Palmeri publicly stated that the merch line’s, “insensitive and crude design choices [did] nothing to improve my life or career.” He also went on to state at the time, “All that negative shit (when I was 24) only gave more reasons for people to find a excuse to dislike/dismiss anything positive I might have achieved. Also the edge lord vibe is played out.”