What happened in Orem, Utah, last week is a tragedy that has shaken that community to its core. Kirk, one of the stars in the right’s youth activism movement, was assassinated at Utah Valley University. He was in the middle of engaging with a packed audience on what would prove to be a fateful day. As you know, Kirk’s tragic death at only 31 years old has galvanized the country. It has triggered a firestorm of outrage over political intimidation and possible silencing of Republicans.
Sometimes Kirk rightly invoked his passion for the Second Amendment. He thought letting a few thousand gun deaths a year was a “prudent tradeoff” to protect our God-given rights, making people’s response to his tragic and untimely death so much more complicated. Recently, INC’s ED, he vocally supports conservative values. His pop-up tent events, which encourage and facilitate real dialogue through lively debates on college campuses, have turned him into an important, controversial, and polarizing figure within American politics.
Witnesses said the mood at the university was electric, as students lined up to hear from Kirk.… The packed audience filmed the police shooting as it happened. It broke the newfound safety that many students had found on their campus.
I’m sad and just shocked. This is creating excitement and interest that is unprecedented in Utah,” said participant Brice Nokes, 27. He’d been looking forward to Kirk’s talk – his words were salve for the scroll soreness we might all have felt.
Kirk’s legacy is a contentious topic. While many supporters mourn his loss and honor his contributions to conservative dialogue, others reflect critically on his impact, particularly regarding his rhetoric toward women, people of color, and minority groups. Jonathan Crow, 24, expressed that while he condemns political violence, it is essential to acknowledge the harmful language Kirk often employed.
We are never for the use of political violence at all,” Crow said. He continued, “We should condemn the hateful rhetoric Charlie Kirk has had throughout his entire life against women, people of color, against minority groups, against the Muslim community.
Tributes continue to come in from all over the country. Memorial placards have already started appearing in front of the U.S. embassy in Berlin. This widespread international response sheds light on the implications of Kirk’s death that reach far beyond local concerns. His death has opened up much-needed dialogue about where America’s political discourse, and subsequently the country, should go. This event might have the greatest impact on national discourse.
For Isabella Roque, 24, Kirk’s death was about more than political violence. “His death has a specific meaning, which is that it’s important not to react violently to political disagreements,” she remarked. Roque added, “His death is not private. Khalid’s death doesn’t just touch his family and friends, it sends ripples across the entire nation.”
Kirk’s family and close friends have been very public in their expressions of sorrow. They’re encouraging all of us to come together, including those with contrasting perspectives on his legacy. Two tiny panda action figures rest at the memorial for his children. Further along, they are evidence of an astonishing desire to recreate the human connection that loss has ripped from his life.
For most Oregon residents, the tragedy has raised real questions about college campus safety. It’s raised the terrible polarization in American society to new and dangerous heights. Tanner Lundquist, 31, shared his feelings about the incident reflecting on how it has affected his daily life and perception of safety in familiar places.
It is incredibly disheartening for me to see a courtyard that used to be my space to do my homework popping up on CNN and Fox News,” he recalled. The faith community continues to deal with their shock and surprise. They have to face the larger ramifications of Kirk’s life and death.