We are still reeling from the senseless killing of Charlie Kirk — a man who spent his life fighting for free speech on college campuses and for the faith and future of this country. His death was not just a personal tragedy for his family; it was an assault on the brave idea that Americans should be able to speak their convictions without fear of violence. Conservatives across this country are grieving, but we are also sharpening our resolve to carry forward the message he spent his life building.
Charlie was gunned down while doing the work conservatives have been doing for years: bringing a message of liberty and faith to young people. Authorities quickly arrested a suspect and charged him with aggravated murder amid details that raise serious questions about how the event was secured. The facts of that day point to preventable security failures — gaps no organizer or family should ever have to pay for with a life.
This was a political assassination in the most literal sense, and it demands both condemnation and accountability. Too often, conservative voices are expected to accept threats and hostility as the price of public life while schools and institutions shrug and call it peaceful protest. That double standard must end; universities, local authorities, and event organizers must be held to the highest standard when people’s lives are on the line.
We also cannot ignore the cultural rot that makes this violence possible. For years the Left has normalized contempt for those who disagree with them and cheered on intimidation and harassment as tactics. When mockery and dehumanization become mainstream, it lowers the moral barrier to the worst outcomes; people who weaponize outrage should be ashamed, and they should answer for the atmosphere they helped create.
Still, Charlie’s death will not be the last word. His work built a generation of young conservatives who are more committed than ever to defending free speech, religious liberty, and the sanctity of life. Now is the time for the movement to organize even harder — to push for better security at events, to demand that campuses restore order and civility, and to keep teaching young Americans the truths Charlie championed.
We should mourn deeply, but we must also act boldly. Pray for his family and for our country, stand up on campus and in your communities, and never let the cowardly act of one violent man silence a generation. Charlie taught us to fight for the Kingdom and for America; honoring him means finishing the fight with courage, faith, and conviction.
