Charlie Kirk

My heart is saddened and sickened by the murder of Charlie Kirk yesterday.

Earlier in the day, while I was doing yard work, I listened to a YouTube video of a TPUSA event that Charlie did with Riley Gaines at a university in San Francisco recently. This was the same university where two years ago, Riley Gaines attempted to speak about how men shouldn't compete against women in sports and a mob of angry "mostly tolerant folks" attacked her and she had to hide in a room for hours for her safety. 

Two years later, she was with Kirk at the same university. As I listened to him respectfully debate college students who disagreed with him, I was reminded anew of what I liked about him. He's calm, respectful and speaks the truth. Particularly on the issue of abortion, Charlie succinctly advocated for the dignity of humans at all stages of their lives.

I only started listening to Charlie Kirk regularly in the last year or so. I knew who he was and I knew about his organization but I figured that being a considerable amount older than his target demographic (college students), his podcast wasn't for me. Someone my age whom I know and respect said that she really enjoyed listening to Charlie Kirk and so I started to listen to him. I was impressed with everything I heard from what he said to how he said it and I added Charlie's podcast to the line up of a few that I listen to regularly. 

At one point this afternoon, one of my kids texted me to tell me that Charlie had been shot. (I don't feel comfortable sharing the political opinions of my kids as those are personal opinions that aren't mine to share. I will share my kids' accomplishments and brag about them from time to time but I can't be a good or even decent parent and potentially subject them to the ire of the intellectually dishonest, dogmatic and violently proned individuals and groups who harm people (like Charlie, Riley Gaines, President Trump, etc.) who disagree with them.)

When I found out that he had been shot, I sat in disbelief, texted a few people to tell them what I'd just heard and then I prayed. I prayed that Charlie would survive and make a full recovery. Obviously that didn't happen. Charlie was a Christian as I am. Christians believe that upon death, they will go to heaven and live in perfect peace with Jesus forever. That doesn't change the earthly reality of missing him here on earth and being devastated for the family and friends who loved Charlie. 

I'll conclude with some good Charlie Kirk quotes/thoughts on politics. May Charlie's love of America and defense of ideals that made this country great live on:

"Conservatives are branded bigots and we are falsely accused of hate speech when we express traditional values and ideas that have made America the greatest country on Earth."

"It is part of our human nature to want to be liked. It is part of our human nature to worry about what others will think of us. It is an attribute of greatness and of American exceptionalism to not surrender to our nature, but to be guided by an inner calling to persevere and to prevail, no matter the personal cost."

"Requirements for an ID are not voter suppression- they're just common sense steps to ensure people don't vote if they are ineligible, don't vote using false identities and don't vote more than once."

"While freedom loving people like libertarians and conservatives wish to provide illumination of facts and the focus of reason for young people so that they might see and think clearly, those who call themselves progressives favor the classic totalitarian tactic of indoctrination."