Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by one of our readers. Due to the repression people have been facing for commenting on Charlie Kirk’s death, they have decided to contribute this article anonymously.
On September 10, Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck by suspect Tyler Robinson at Utah Valley University. Kirk was a staunch conservative political activist and media personality who cofounded Turning Point USA, a nonprofit conservative advocacy group, when he was 18. A prominent face of the MAGA movement, President Trump credited Kirk in the past for bringing in young voters during his 2024 presidential campaign. The Utah Governor called Kirk’s killing a “political assasination.”
That same day at Evergreen High School in Colorado, 16 year-old Desmond Holly fired 20 rounds within 90 minutes at students and staff, before ultimately taking his own life according to law enforcement. Holly engaged in neo-Nazi, white supremacist views, showing an interest in past school shootings like Columbine and collecting tactical gear. The media, however, flooded with Kirk’s death, highlighted the graphic videos posted online. It was not until later in the same day, left-leaning viewers online made the clear distinction between what the governor called a “political assasination” for a media personality, and one of the 161 school shootings just this year, sparking debate over gun control, violence, and conservative favoritism and priorities.
Following Kirk’s death, President Trump ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings and public grounds for Kirk. When Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman was assassinated in her home, along with her husband Mark and their dog, Trump did not lower the flag. When later asked, he stated, “I’m not familiar. The who?” On Monday, September 15, Trump said he would have lowered the flag in honor of her and her family if he had been asked. Left-leaning individuals make it clear there is preference for those who align with Trump’s MAGA ideals, while MAGA followers are rallying in numbers to pray for Charlie Kirk. The same party who is pro-life, yet are not seen holding vigils for the hundreds of school shootings affecting their local communities these past two years alone.
So where does this leave America? At the center of Kirk’s death is the debate over gun rights and first amendment protections. A second amendment right for all law abiding individuals, but it ends up in the hands of those with extremist values, such as Robinson and Holly. Following Charlie Kirk’s death, the GOP plans to use his death as a means to target Democrats, marginalized groups, and non-conservatives as a part of their broader messaging, while claiming they are violent and radical. And yet, before the killer was even identified, historically black and college universities (HBCU’s) received bomb threats due to the widespread conservative belief that the shooter was Black or transexual.
While Democrats are denying these allegations, others are condemning the dividedness that has come across the U.S. for some time now. Bernie Sanders seemed empathetic to the disturbing shooting, and called for condemning all forms of political violence, no matter what political view one might hold. Sanders is not the only one who has been forthright on the issue instead of attacking the other side.
This is causing division not just between the two parties, but within the Democratic party itself as well. Rep. Tom Suozzi, a moderate Democrat from New York, also expressed condolences about the situation, and while not commenting directly on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) comments about Kirk, Suozzi stated it is best to not “incite violence.” Suozzi’s statements are in reference to Omar’s statements, where she stated, “There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.”
What Omar is referring to are Kirk’s words in previous years during his lively debates. One such that is being discussed was his view on the 2nd amendment, where he argued that a few lives had to be sacrificed for the 2nd amendment to exist. This quote has been circulating social media, as Kirk died for what he believed in. However, other quotes have been circulating as well, especially racist and anti-LGBTQ+ ones, that most who don’t support Trump believe are undemocratic and insulting.
What started off as an argument on gun control has slowly become a free speech issue. Conservative backing of Kirk, seen by the thousands that attended his funeral, has emulsioned to a point where anyone criticizing him may now face repercussions. Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was pulled off the air from ABC because of comments he made regarding the conservative party’s response to Kirk. However, with Disney’s almost $4 billion loss in stock, Kimmel is set to be back on air Tuesday, September 23. Additionally, in a now deleted domain, right-wing users created a website where people are outing others for comments made against Kirk, news of which has been circulating around TikTok.
The United States is still feeling the impact of Kirk. Unfortunately, this has been causing an even deeper divide between lawmakers and the public alike. This is clearly frightening, and puts into question what free speech means on both sides of the aisle. The events that have unfolded suggest that this divisiveness will not get better any time soon, in an era where constitutional infringements are being questioned everyday.
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I liked your article and commend your research in writing it.