America has descended into a regime where those who hold differing views are punished simply for expressing love for one’s country. Charlie Kirk, a son, a father, and husband, lost his life on Wed. Sept. 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. The killing of this man is not only a tragedy but should be considered a disgrace in terms of the state of our nation. Society as a whole needs to come to a realization: no matter where you stand politically, the concept that someone can be subjected to such hatred and killed simply for their beliefs is astonishing. This assassination was devastating and honestly disturbing, seeing what our nation has come to. As someone who is a young adult in this country, it has been brought to my attention that this nation needs a wake-up call, and we need it now more than ever.
Kirk was a man of God who believed strongly in the way of Christian life. His Christian faith was one of the most important things in his life. He strived to spread Christianity to the world and show his outlook on America through his undivided faith in his Savior. Whether this be to his peers, debaters, or his family, Kirk took it upon himself to spread the gospel to anyone who crossed his path and cared enough to listen. Not only was he a strong believer in Christ, he was a conservative activist who shared his political point of view through debating. Charlie Kirk took it among himself to start an organization for this nation, to spread his views and ideals. This organization he started was called Turning Point USA, which influenced the conservative way of life. He started this organization at the age of 18 and ever since then continued to be an advocate for conservative values. Not only did he start this non-profit organization to influence people, but he started it to influence the younger generation, the future of this country.
Kirk had the willingness to find a way to reach all people no matter their background, connecting with all ages through a variety of platforms. He took it upon himself to not only spread his message through social media but also face to face in debates. Many souls in this world don’t have the courage to speak from their heart and capitalize on the beliefs that make them who they are. Kirk did so with courage and profound knowledge, which reflected his passion for this country and its people.
Kirk used his knowledge of Christ and conservatism to debate liberals, progressives, and socialists. The prompt Kirk was known for using in his debates was “prove me wrong.” Three little words that could be held for interpretation in many ways, but at the end of the day, were used to start a discussion. Don’t mistake this discussion for an argument. That was simply never the intention for Kirk. This 31-year-old man, better yet an American patriot, wanted to advocate his beliefs to the public and share his opinion with the younger generation. He used debating to discuss topics such as abortion, economic freedom, individual rights, gun rights, free speech, religious freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, gender identity, nationalism, woke culture, climate change, and immigration. Topics of such concern can bring an array of emotions to the table. Charlie chose to bring these topics up respectfully and discuss them with the impressive intelligence he held within him.
This man’s whole agenda was to promote conservative values while also focusing on a Christian-based life. His goal was to connect with the younger generation and discuss the ideologies of the current generation. He focused on visiting left-wing college campuses with the statement in the back of his mind: “prove me wrong.” He would have an array of conversations with people of all backgrounds. Kirk wasn’t afraid to defend his opinions and never turned away from the things he believed, even though he received negative feedback from many people in this nation. He took the criticism from the public and used it as fuel to the fire to continue his message. Kirk was a leader. He used the power of debate to share truth, and if he did not persuade people to his ideals, he used the debate to come to a mutual understanding.
This man received many threats in his life and still chose to reach the nation through his powerful words and debates rather than chase public popularity. The man just wanted to connect with the younger generation and get back to the rhetoric of peacefully debating and having a discussion with someone of differing opinions. Who knew this nation would still stoop to the level of assassinating a man simply because of his opinions?
In American history, we have witnessed this. But shouldn’t there come a time where, as the people of this nation, the American people, we stop this violence? As a result of this cowardly and selfish act, Charlie Kirk will now be remembered as someone who gave his life for the voice of free speech to be heard, rather than his profound movement continuing.
In an article called “Charlie Kirk compared to JFK as tributes pour in from across America,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era. My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for our country.”
Do you think it’s a coincidence that the bullet that took Kirk’s life passed through his neck, through his vocal cords, metaphorically and precisely taking his breath away? This man was shamed for his opinion, called a fascist, a homophobe, referred to as Hitler, and he chose to try to make an impact on this nation through his voice. Through his patriotism for this nation and the overarching faith he had in his heart for Christ, Charlie Kirk used his voice to reach the younger generation on a deeper level. One bullet took this man’s voice away and ripped the free speech everyone should have in this nation away from him. Due to the fact an individual disagreed with his opinions and took it upon himself to end a human being’s life.
In this country, disagreements are bound to happen. America wouldn’t be the same if people didn’t have differing views on specific topics. Everyone has the right in this country to express their own opinion. With this, if an individual wants to use their platform to speak about their political and religious beliefs, they should not be punished for that, let alone be shot.
In an article called, “Utah governor, known for ‘disagreeing better,’ calls for calm after Kirk shooting,” Spencer Cox Utah Governor said, “Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture that is very different than what we are suffering through right now. Not by pretending differences don’t matter, but by embracing our differences and having those hard conversations.”
Cox, shortly after addressing the nation and announcing “We got him,” referring to Charlie Kirk’s killer, had a powerful message for the country and the younger generation. He pointed out the truth and what this nation needs to hear in this time of tragedy. As a nation, the people of this country need to get over the political divide. Just because you disagree with someone does not give you the power to kill another human being for not agreeing with their ideologies.
A saying credited to many historical figures can tell the nation a great deal about the philosophy Cox is trying to present to us. A Greek storyteller by the name of Aesop is credited for a fable that depicts a phrase that has been reworded and modified throughout history but has encompassed the same meaning as time has gone on. Aesop told the story of The Bundle of Sticks. The fable explains, “A father teaches his sons the importance of unity by showing them that a single stick can be easily broken, but a bundle of sticks, bound together, is much stronger and cannot be broken.” Inspired by the themes in this fable, John Dickinson wrote “The Liberty Song” before the American Revolution. The lyrics say, “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all / By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall”
This song was the starting point for the phrase most American people know: United we stand, divided we fall. These six words describe the motive for Cox’s powerful words. The nation has gotten out of control, and as American citizens, the United States of America needs to come together. This saying is exactly what the nation is missing, especially within these last few weeks and recent events.
The saying United we stand, divided we fall never meant individuals have to agree on the political or religious matters of this country. However, this saying does mean we have to accept the disagreements among each other and not result in evil.
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s wife, in a recent Instagram post regarding her husband’s passing, said,
“They have no idea what they have just ignited within this wife. If they thought my husband’s mission was big now… you have no idea. You. All of you. Never will. Ever. Forget my husband. @charliekirk1776 I’ll make sure of it.”
Erika Kirk, a 36-year-old mother of two, lost her husband. She met Kirk in 2018 in New York City and had been happily married since 2020. When you watch interviews with the two, it is obvious they were madly in love with each other and God brought them together for a reason. Erika Kirk was at Utah Valley University supporting her husband the day he was brutally murdered by a coward who disagreed with him. She watched the love of her life be struck by a bullet, blood gush from the left side of his neck, recoil, go limp, and drop to the ground in a matter of seconds.
No wife should have to endure such agony and witness such a traumatizing event. This woman will live with that day in the back of her mind for years to come. Along with social media apps continuing to stream videos from that horrific day, she will be constantly reminded of the day someone decided to take her husband off this Earth for expressing his right of free speech.
Erika will never get to spend another day with her husband on this Earth due to the insincerity of an individual. She will be deprived of the privilege of growing old with her spouse and experiencing the life they dreamed of together. She will have to raise her two children as a single mother and tell them stories of their father instead of creating memories. The tragedy in this is beyond measure, and if any human being finds pleasure in a circumstance such as this one, they need to seriously reconsider their morals.
This nation has gone so far as to divide each other by political beliefs that, as humans, they seek joy in death. This is simply evil and cannot be tolerated in this nation. This man, Tyler Robinson, thought that hating this individual to the extent of taking away his voice with a bullet would silence the movement Charlie Kirk started, but Erika Kirk and this nation will make sure that does not happen. The truth that this man spoke, the beliefs he preached so deeply, the free speech he fought for, and the mutual respect he gave his debaters will never be forgotten.
This man was called to fight evil. He was called to make an impact on the younger generation of this nation. He showed what it meant to be a man of Christ in this day and age and exemplified that perfectly. He believed in the American dream and simply wanted to make America a place where citizens could have a peaceful debate and mutually disagree. If this nation is not willing to listen to both sides and respectfully disagree, what have we become as a nation?
Tyler Robinson thought the bullet that took Kirk’s life was going to silence the impactful and powerful gift of debating that he had. In reality, a nation that was built on the foundation of free speech will lead Americans to find a way to rise above evil and come together. Alongside them will be Erika Kirk, standing up for the beliefs her husband implemented in so many people around our country, and never letting this nation forget the man he was and could have continued to be.
On Sat., Sept. 13, I sat down to watch an old interview with Mark Levin and Charlie Kirk. Within the first few minutes of this interview, I witnessed how intelligent Charlie Kirk was. He knew American history like the back of his hand, and I could tell the passion it brought to his eyes. Speaking about America simply brought out an excitement in him that is not seen in many Americans nowadays. The patriotism in this country is something that has significantly gone down as time has gone on. The gratitude, the gratefulness, the love for one’s country at the end of the day is not expressed by many people, especially the younger generation.
Watching this interview made me open my eyes to the man Kirk truly was. A segment on the television made me open my eyes to the bigger picture. People that had true hatred in their heart for Kirk compared him to a Nazi, and I simply cannot comprehend this statement. I realized after watching this segment that Kirk truly loved his country and wanted the best for it. He believed that this nation was losing culturally, and all he wanted to do was ensure that the younger generation was informed. He knew everyone was not going to agree with him. He knew that people hated him. The man received death threats, so of course he was aware that people disagreed with him tremendously. That was not the point of Kirk doing what he did since he was 18. He could have gone to college, gotten a degree in business, and carried on as an ordinary man. Instead, Charlie decided to make his voice heard by speaking to the public. Kirk touched many souls and even converted people on the left to turn conservative. But in the end, this nation has to look at the bigger picture of what this man did. He had the courage to stand before the people of this nation and stand up for what he believed in, which is more than many of the American people can say.
For the people that hide behind screens, cowardly running away from the truth and disrespecting an advocate for this nation, consider doing something to make this nation a better place. Be the person to stop the hate in this nation. Even in this lifetime, if you come across a human rejoicing in someone’s death, be the person to tell them there is no room for that type of hatred in America. If we want the political violence to end, Americans need to stop the hatred and refer to human morals. This assassination was and will continue to be a crucial part of our history. As humans, Americans, conservatives, and liberals, we can either learn from this political violence and put an end to the corrupt America this nation is turning into, or we can become united and stand together.
Charlie Kirk once said in an interview when asked how he wanted to be remembered, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. The most important thing is my faith in my life.”
Kirk could have said in this interview he wanted to be remembered for his political opinions, his fame, or the way he approached debates. But the one thing he wished to be remembered for was his faith in Jesus Christ. In the days since his passing, it has been proven that more people have gone to church, turned to Jesus, and want to be a part of the faith-filled life Kirk possessed. Kirk was a strong believer in the way of a Christian-centered life and was never ashamed to share that. Yes Charlie Kirk was murdered, but he was also martyred for the word of God and for being faithful to the testimony. He died preaching the word of the gospel and never being afraid to express the commitment to faith he had.
As Americans, even if you did not agree with Kirk and hated everything he stood for, take a minute to look past the evil. Take a minute to ignore the voices telling your conscience that he deserved this. Take a minute to ignore the people telling others that his wife deserves to suffer without her husband for what he believed. Take that minute to reflect on the man he was and how, at the end of the day, he was trying to get a message across that was bigger than politics itself.
That message was bringing the people of the younger generation and people all around this nation to the word of Christ. A son, a father, a husband, and a remarkable political advocate for America was taken from this world for expressing his right to free speech, but Charlie James Kirk will never be forgotten.
