Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, and a key icon in the conservative movement in the United States, was shot and killed on Sept 10, while speaking at an event on campus at Utah Valley University. Make no mistake, this murder is a tragedy that has rocked the nation, in particular those in the conservative movement, as Kirk was a catalyst in the movement that helped its numbers and also assisted in Donald Trump becoming President in 2016 and 2024.
I was never a huge fan of Charlie Kirk, and definitely never had hate for him. There are many topics I agree with Charlie on, and there are some that I disagreed with him on. With that being said, I respect Charlie’s efforts in trying to unify the nation in what he did, regardless of the side of the political spectrum he was on.
I followed Charlie and tracked him and his work. Based on what I have seen from him, he wanted to encourage civil discourse and dialogue in the US (even around the world as well), regardless of politics, even going to the most hostile environments of this nation to speak with people.
The polarizing society that we live in, where debate/discourse is ancient, is something that is of great concern. He focused on the youth and young adults, hence why he was always at colleges and universities, which are nowadays havens for liberal ideologies and typically have no love for conservative/libertarian ideas. In his dialogues, he has always been calm and respectful despite the opposite energy coming from those he was debating.
To think that going around the nation to have debate/discourse with others that do not share the same views as you warrants you getting your neck shredded, that right there is something that is frightening in itself.
Charlie Kirk was undoubtedly a patriot, as his love for the USA was second to none, and a Man of Faith, as his love for Jesus Christ was unshakable. He stood for conservative, traditional principles and believed that was the way to guide America and her glory. Not only that, his boldness and courage to tell the truth, even when faced with threats, is and will always be honorable to me.
As I meditated on this horrific news, there are some key things that stand out to me:
In Ephesians 6:12, Apostle Paul writes, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” People, whether you see it or not, this is a spiritual battle we are in the midst of. This is one of good vs evil, and if you do not believe me, look at the recent events that have transpired, excluding Charlie’s death, for example, the stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the light rail in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The hyperpolitical society in the United States: with the death of Charlie Kirk, it seems to indicate that political violence is the answer in this nation and in the world, when it is not. To murder someone due to their political beliefs is disgusting and wrong, no matter what you believe in. What people need to understand about this is that this has serious ramifications that people are not thinking about: the right to free speech is being challenged. As well as the slippery slope that once it’s acceptable that violence is an option, the social contract is null and void, meaning that it creates a Pandora’s box to kill people based on differentiating opinions.
If America is at a point where it is deemed acceptable to unalive someone because of what they believe, then I would not want to be a part of that America, let alone share it with people who subscribe to such demonic thinking. This is a war on free speech that people really are not taking into earnest consideration.The Left’s Contribution: Usually, I am not the type to play the blame game, but one could argue that the left’s rhetoric against conservatives and their allies did have a role in this. From the MSM and politicians, you do not get to offer condolences when you spent years calling your political rivals “fascists,” “Nazis,” or even “threats to democracy.” It is no coincidence that left on right violence is a trend now, as we saw the picture-perfect example last year when President Trump was assassinated while running for President.
In fact, one could argue that the writing was on the wall when Rep. Steve Scalise was shot at the Congressional Baseball Game in 2017. The virtue signaling from the left is no longer hard to see through. While it has been true that both left/right have had their fair share with the rise of political violence (i.e., Melissa Hortman, Josh Shapiro etc.), the uptick has been more from the left as of recently, as things stand.
I have much more to say about this that cannot be shared due to the limit of this article; however, two things can be true: you can disagree with Charlie Kirk and, at the same time believe that his views should not warrant a death sentence.
Those celebrating do not care that now a wife/mother is now a widow, and two children will never see their father again, all in the name of having the “correct political views” and being labeled the typical names of racist, white supremacist, homophobe, Nazi, the list goes on.
It is interesting that those who are using what Kirk said to paint him as a villain are either not sharing the full context of his words or blatantly not sharing the whole statement in order to push an ignorant narrative. If you sit down and see it in full display, the things Charlie is saying make sense and are reasonable, whether you agree with them or not, but they are not extreme in the slightest.
Whether you love him or hate him, one thing that Charlie did was teach people how to think, and not what to think, and he did it graciously. As Americans, it is our duty to make sure this nation is safe haven for ideas and opinions, and that these liberties are protected for future generations. Because, if that is diminished, then America as we know we diminish as well. RIP Charlie and God Bless you, your family, and the legacy you established.
Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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It is likely that Hortman's murder and Shapiro's attempted murder/arson, though both were/are Democrats, were also perpetrated by leftists, in their cases because they weren't leftist enough to satisfy those extreme elements Hortman due to a healthcare vote, and Shapiro for supporting Israel.
When you mention the mislabeling of Kirk and his ilk with "the typical names of racist, white supremacist, homophobe, Nazi" as being wrong because of the inaccuracies of those labels (and it certainly is), you miss a deeper point - even if someone is in fact all of those things, as loathsome as that may be, it does not mean they should be killed. The 1st Amendment only works when it is inviolable, , and its importance is most clearly shown when it protects speech we find offensive.
Good article. One note though, Melissa Hortman had just voted with the Republicans to deny healthcare to illegal immigrants. To paraphrase her, she said that she did what leaders do, they step up and she voted for the people of MN. Vance Boelter, the man that killed her has his own sketchy background.