Our country was founded on very bedrock principles of freedom,
among which is the freedom of speech, expression, and assembly.
It is one of the features which make our country's exceptionalism,
along with our Constitution which enshrines this freedom and all
our others. But today, these very freedoms are under the gun ---
literally --- especially the aforementioned freedom of speech.
And that gun was fired. It was fired at a courageous and tireless
advocate for that very freedom who practiced this precious freedom
by visiting college campuses around the United States, inviting
students to take him on in debate on a wide variety of topics,
especially politics. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA,
an organization which brings young Americans into politics,
to advocate for conservatism and its tenets of a free market, limited
government, and individual liberty, was assassinated while speaking
at an event hosted by Utah Valley University. Twenty minutes into his
presentation Kirk was shot by an individual with a high-powered gun
at about 200 yards away, poised upon a building's roof, and died
not long afterward. Charlie Kirk died doing what he loved doing,
getting students to open their minds through open discussion and
healthy debate without rancor and reprisals. Although Charlie had
his detractors, some who outright hated him, he had many
fans among his student audiences who loved him and hung on his
every word when this God and country activist spoke.
The 31-year-old conservative activist and influencer left behind his
wife Erika and their two very young children. His children will know
of his legacy but will never more be cuddled by Charlie, kissed
goodnight while being tucked in, nor be watched by their loving
father as they grow. And the country will be left with one less spokes-
man for Charlie's cause, the right enshrined in the Constitution's
First Amendment guaranteeing the right of free speech and the related
rights which accompany it. Struck down for practicing this right.
Killed for supporting this vitally important freedom which helps
make life in our great and grand country, and our country itself
exceptional --- much to the consternation, the frustration, the
anger, and the hatred of the likes of Charlie Kirk's killer.
Charlie was a magnificent debater; one of the best I've ever seen.
Many left-wingers challenged him --- Charlie had a banner
that he displayed at all of his debating appearances which says
"Change My Mind!" --- and he always had a very cheery disposition,
as he was a happy warrior in his efforts to win students over. And
all the while his lefty challengers tried their best to trip him up,
but to no avail. Finally, since none of the radical vanguard could
neither out-debate nor outwit Charlie Kirk, one of them silenced
him forever. They figured that if you can't beat 'em, kill 'em!
The more radical elements of the political Left have tried for years,
decades in fact, to transform our country into a totalitarian hell
in which, among other things, they would proscribe expression of
certain thoughts and ideas under the threat of imprisonment and/or
death. As your mournful Peasant writes these words many of these
radicals are cheering the murder of Charlie Kirk, saying that "He had
it coming!" and "This is what happens when you say offensive things
in public!", along with their classic putdown "They were punished
for their 'hate speech'!" This all illustrates how the far the lefties try
to shut up anyone who dares to disagree with them.
Even elected officials (Democrats, of course) are cheering the bloody
silencing of the talented Mr. Kirk. Don't be shocked; remember Rep.
Maxine Waters (D-CA) exhorting her constituents to "get in the faces"
of their political opponents? And more recently, Sen. Charles Schumer
(D-NY) bellowing about how the GOP "released the whirlwind"
re: the rulings on some cases near and dear to the Dems, i.e. abortion,
and that they would "pay the price!". Now what do you think Schumer
meant by that? Your favorite Peasant has many more examples for
you, but I must get back to the heart of this blog post, the recently
fallen Charlie Kirk.
Charlie's widow Erika made a public statement saying that she will
continue her husband's work, championing the cause of freedom of
speech on college campuses and everywhere in our country. Those
who hate Charlie Kirk for what he said during his short lifetime will
realize that one can kill a person who comes up with a thought or an
idea, but cannot kill the thought or idea. This has been demonstrated
through the ages the world over, including here in the United States
(several presidents, a war hero or two, other activists i.e. Dr. Martin
Luther King) and here it shall be so once again in the wake of
Charlie Kirk's murder.
Thank God for people bold and brave enough to think and act outside
their assigned and mandated boxes, risking their careers, their
reputations professional and personal, even their lives. If some of us
are not free to speak their minds, then none of us are. And if none of us
are thus free, then we don't live in a free country. And if we don't live in
a free country, we are not citizens but subjects. We owe a great debt to
the Charlie Kirks out there! May this one CK not have died in vain.
Requiescat in pace.
MEM
