The Assassination of Charlie Kirk

This article first appeared in New English Review.

As somebody who has been involved in campus issues for several years, the assassination of Charlie Kirk this week while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University has hit me like a gut punch. I was teaching part-time at UC Irvine when I first heard about Charlie and his organization, Turning Point USA. My feeling back then was that this was just what the doctor ordered, and I came to become a great admirer of Charlie and his work. Over the years, his stature grew more and more nationally, and he inspired untold thousands of young conservatives who were fed up with the far-left indoctrination on our campuses. He literally went into the belly of the beast and took his message to the ones who needed it most-our youth in the universities. He invited open debate about anything. He not only was extraordinarily courageous, but he was also extremely intelligent and handled the exchanges easily, not in an angry manner, but with good cheer. He did not hate the young people who were challenging his beliefs.

As a Christian, Charlie supported Israel and supported Jewish students on our campuses as they put up with harassment, bullying, and disruption of their events by various Muslim Student Association chapters, Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Antifa-types.

We are still learning about the thinking of Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter. It has been reported that he considered Charlie to be a "hate monger" and a "fascist". It is also reported by law enforcement that his rifle and bullet cartridges contained messages, like "Catch, Fascist", "Ciao Bella", and other writings that give a clue to his thinking. (Ciao Bella was the song made popular during World War 2 in Italy by anti-Fascist partisans.) This may indicate that Robinson's thinking is in line with that of Antifa. Whether he was active in the Antifa movement or participated in their antics is not known at this point. It does seem obvious, however, that Robinson's ideology is polar opposite from Charlie's, that this was a politically-motivated act, and that Charlie was murdered for his beliefs and what he espoused. As to the exact issue that most motivated this murder, we do not yet know. Charlie spoke on a number of social issues in his campus appearances.  It could be Charlie's support for President Trump, the Republican party, the transgender issue, the Israel-Palestinian conflict, abortion, his Christianity, or a combination of everything.

For how many years now have we been warning our university leaders that a tragedy would happen on a campus somewhere if they didn't take more decisive action to protect all people on campus, regardless of their background, religion, or beliefs? Yet, they have continued to wring their hands and prattle on about inclusivity and anti-Semitism having no place in their university, downplaying or denying its existence. For too many years now, they have all too often instructed their campus police forces to keep a low profile when controversial events are coming to campus. How many times up to now have they stationed campus police on rooftops overlooking outdoor areas where people like Charlie were speaking? I am unaware of any, but I bet they will now. They must.

In addition to sadness and anger over the assassination itself, I am beyond disgusted by the celebratory or unsympathetic reactions by some on the left, including our media. People like Matthew Dowd implied on air (MSNBC) that Charlie brought about his own death with the things that he said. MSNBC rightly apologized for his comments and fired him. What else could they do-stand by him and his comments? Shame on Matthew Dowd and his ilk. Ten of him couldn't make one Charlie Kirk. The same sentiment goes for Ilhan Omar and her filthy reaction to this event.

You would have thought that the left would have learned its lesson last year when then-candidate Donald Trump narrowly escaped assassination, not once but twice. When you continuously demonize someone by calling them a  "Nazi", a "fascist", a "racist", does it come as any surprise when some deranged person picks up a gun and tries to kill them? Unfortunately, the lesson was not learned; it just carried over to Charlie Kirk. Utah Governor Spencer Cox wondered whether this event would be a watershed moment for America, whether we would turn away from all the hate and violence, or rather, would this act just inspire more. He struggled to answer the question, as anyone would. Sadly, I think the latter will be the case. Being old enough to remember the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and others, I don't think we Americans learn our historical lessons very well.

Charlie Kirk died because someone did not believe that he and others had the right to express their views, which were contrary to their own. It is not surprising that it occurred on a college campus. He also died because he was such an effective spokesman for conservatism. At age 31, he had a bright future ahead of him. Many believed he could become president one day.  Many give him credit for helping re-elect President Trump. I totally agree.

May he rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing.