One year ago today, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was taken from us on the campus of Utah Valley University. Kirk was traveling the country for “The American Comeback Tour” when a bullet struck him, taking his life in front of his fans and detractors alike.
He died doing what millions across the planet came to know him for — exercising his freedom of speech in the face of the opposition.
He was killed that day because they could not beat him at his game. His ideas were powerful. He was well-informed, quick witted, and always came prepared.
For that, the violent radicals celebrated after one of their own murdered him.
His assassination was their admitting they could not win the argument, so they took his life.
Unlike the left, Kirk did not retreat from the tactics built upon our founding principles.
He remained committed to freedom of speech until his final breath.
In the aftermath of that day, many remembered him once saying, “When people stop talking, really bad stuff starts. When marriages stop talking, divorce happens. When civilizations stop talking, civil war ensues.”
“When you stop having a human connection with someone you disagree with, it becomes a lot easier to want to commit violence against that group… What we as a culture have to get back to is being able to have a reasonable disagreement where violence is not an option.”
Just watch. pic.twitter.com/O8nQIVp06a
— Matt Goodwin (@GoodwinMJ) September 11, 2025
Kirk lived those words in having a reasonable disagreement.
He quite literally went into the lion’s den.
College campuses are breeding grounds of leftist thought.
Nearly every anti-American, anti-capitalist, anti-white, and anti-Christian idea the left now embraces started on a college campus.
Kirk could have exclusively spoken to churches, Republican clubs, or other conservative groups.
That route would have been less stressful for his family and friends. He would likely still be with us had he chosen that option.
But if that were the case, his message would have been blunted. He would not have reached the millions that he did.
He was brave enough to have the conversation on the front lines and skilled enough to win it.
We should remember that bravery now.
For his heroism, his choice of an arena, and his ability to win the argument, he was taken from us.
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