Charlie Kirk Assassinated at a Utah College

We lost a voice of reason, a voice of love, a man who cherished his country and his fellow man. Charlie Kirk was someone willing to sit with those who disagreed with him and engage openly in debate — not with hate, but with conviction and courage. Charlie stood for the Second Amendment knowing that was the only thing that protects the First.

But more importantly, a family lost their husband and father. Charlie leaves behind a devoted wife and two beautiful children. A three-year-old daughter who sat near her father as he was murdered in cold blood. A son, not yet a year old, who will grow up never knowing his father’s embrace.

And in the aftermath, we saw the worst of humanity on display. People celebrating. News anchors struggling to hide smirks as they delivered the news. Outlets literally cheering as they announced his death.

If you are celebrating the death of someone you disagreed with, then you are part of the problem in this country. If you are rejoicing that a man of faith was taken from this world, claiming it as proof that God does not exist, then you do not understand the depth of God’s love for each of us.

I am heartbroken by this tragedy. Heartbroken for the Kirk family, for his friends, and for the countless lives he touched. But I am also heartbroken for those whose souls are so darkened that they can rejoice in another’s murder.

Do not mistake grief for weakness. Charlie’s spirit was strong, and his assassination has only amplified his voice. You may have silenced the man, but his message has been turned up to eleven.

And we are not only sad — we are angry. Angry that someone believed the only way to defeat Charlie was to shoot him from 135 yards away, instead of meeting him in debate. Angry that those who labeled him a “fascist” chose the most fascist tactic of all: silencing opposition with violence.

In America, we have freedom of speech. What we do not have is freedom of murder. To cut out the tongue of a man does not prove he is a liar — it only proves you fear what he is saying.

The shadows are darkest when the light burns brightest. Charlie Kirk’s legacy will live on. Those who knew him, and those who were moved by his words, will not forget. Some are already saying this may be the most consequential assassination since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Whether or not history agrees, what is certain is this: his death will leave a mark, his life will inspire countless others, and his legacy will endure.

Tonight, we grieve. Tomorrow, we carry on his mission. Pray for the Kirk Family. They need God’s love and his light in their darkest time.