The assassination of Charlie Kirk was shocking and heartbreaking. No matter what you thought of him, he was on a stage, speaking his mind, when his life was taken. That should outrage every American.
What troubles me most is the reaction, or lack of one. After most shootings, the loudest voices demand gun bans and new restrictions. But when Charlie was killed, those same voices either fell silent or, worse, used his death to score political points. Reducing a man’s life to irony is not compassion — it is exploitation. Violence is either wrong or it isn’t. You can’t condemn it only when it fits your agenda. Silence in this case is hypocrisy, and it weakens the very principles of freedom and justice we claim to uphold.
Charlie was more than a political figure. He was a man of faith who believed in God, in freedom, and in America. He encouraged dialogue even with those who opposed him. He hated no one. His mission was to remind us that this nation is strongest when people come together, not tear each other apart.
You don’t have to agree with Charlie to condemn his murder. If we believe in freedom, then freedom demands one clear response: Political violence is never acceptable — against anyone.
Nancy Fairbanks
Valencia
