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Right now, we only have to look to Russia, to mainland Europe, to the United States, and to Britain to see fascists of various shapes and sizes picking up on this anger and enflaming it and letting it loose in truly horrifying ways. Speaking at a rally in the days leading up to the war in Iraq, the late socialist Tony Benn called for, "anger at injustice, optimism for a better world."At this moment, it can seem hard to locate that optimism. Tributes for Jo Cox have flooded in from across the political spectrum. Everyone from Jeremy Corbyn to David Cameron, Sadiq Khan to Theresa May, has spoken of her in glowing terms.I asked Kirk if any hope could be found at a time like this. "If anything of Jo's core beliefs get amplified," he said, "that is a fitting tribute to her. Compassion, empathy for people of all stripes wherever they are in trouble, just a complete humanitarian view of the world, such strong values, work with rather than fight against, if anything of that attitude can infect politics, can infect conversations about the referendum, then that is a good thing."Kirk's words echo those of Jo Cox's husband Brendan, who said in a statement that his wife would have wanted two things "above all else now: one, that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her. Hate doesn't have a creed, race, or religion: It is poisonous." That fight against hatred goes on, but it will be harder without the compassion and leadership of Jo Cox."If anything of her attitude can infect politics, can infect conversations about the referendum, then that is a good thing."