Charlie Kirk (1993-2025)

On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, conservative activist, founder of Turning Point USA, husband, and father of two young children, was shot in the neck and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University.

He was only 31. The shooter fired from a building roughly 200 yards away, and despite early reports, no suspect is currently in custody. Federal and local law enforcement, including the FBI and ATF, are investigating.

Whatever one’s politics or faith, this is a tragedy. I may not have agreed with everything Kirk said, but disagreement is what makes freedom of speech so powerful, and so vital.

To live in a country where debate is, where ideas can clash without violence, is supposed to be the very core of American democracy.

The divisions in this nation run deep, not just between Democrats and Republicans, but within each party.

Yet the answer cannot be violence. It cannot be elevating those who act out of hatred or instability into martyrs or excuses.

We need to stop pretending that violent acts born of rage or untreated mental illness are somehow courageous. They’re not, they’re destructive, and they tear at the very fabric of our communities.

We also can’t ignore the reality of daily violence, whether it’s gangs in our cities, political radicals, or individuals consumed by hate. Respect for life and for opposing views has to return to the center of our culture.

That means taking responsibility for our own actions, rejecting the blame game, and holding ourselves accountable and our leaders, to a higher standard of respect and civility.

This country is still the greatest in the world, but right now, it’s veering off course.

A man like Charlie Kirk should not be assassinated for his opinions. My own friends hold a wide range of political and philosophical views, we debate, we disagree, but I would never wish harm on them. That is what makes life in a free society meaningful.

If we truly value freedom, then we must stop treating political opponents as enemies and start treating them as fellow citizens again.

The alternative is chaos that will lead to our own ruin.

c 2025 Chu The Cud

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