On September 10 at 12:23 p.m., Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and controversial conservative political activist, was assassinated at Utah Valley University in front of a crowd of roughly 3,000 students. UVU was one of many campuses he visited to encourage open debate between himself and college students on controversial topics in today’s culture.
Following his death, students, followers, and opposers alike have taken to the internet to express their drastically varying opinions.
The evening of Kirk’s death, MSNBC aired their nightly edition and featured Matthew Dowd, a political pundit for the network, who insinuated that Kirk brought his death on himself: “…hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions…that is the environment we are in.”
Conversely, writer for liberal media outlet The New York Times, Ezra Klein, highlighted Kirk’s work, saying “Charlie Kirk was practicing politics the right way.” Despite their ideological differences, Klein recognizes that healthy American society consists of healthy debates and hard conversations. It’s essential that each one of us recognizes this.
The difference in response only highlights the growing political polarization in America. Both sides have made baseless claims regarding September 10, and both have, at points, been needlessly inflammatory.
Whether or not you agreed with his views or methods, Kirk was an example of someone who practiced open dialogue with people who disagreed with him. Democracy demands that we, as citizens, acknowledge that words and not violence are what uphold American ambitions. We can’t let one man’s death be the start of an American society that endorses echo chambers of opinions and vilifies those with different beliefs. Democracy cannot thrive in such a society. Kirk’s assassination must serve as a wake-up call to all of us, spurring us to talk maturely about our differences.
Kirk’s assassination is not only a tragedy for those who knew and loved him, or for his supporters — it’s a tragedy for Americans because it threatens civil liberties and it challenges democratic ideals. When a proponent of civil liberty is killed in such a public way, it isn’t only the individual who is attacked; the freedoms America embodies are attacked as well.