The assassination of Charlie Kirk is more than the tragic loss of a husband, father and conservative leader. It is a sign of a deeper sickness in our society.
Charlie was not a man of violence. He built his influence by debating college students with respect, listening carefully and encouraging young Americans to reason together. Even when disagreements were sharp, he refused to dehumanize those across the aisle. That is why his death is so jarring: he embodied dialogue in an age where dialogue is disappearing.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox rightly called this a “political assassination.” Others describe it as part of an emerging “assassination culture.” That phrase captures what has been building for years: a culture that treats opponents as monsters rather than fellow citizens. When the discourse repeats that conservatives are “Nazis,” that kind of language creates a moral permission structure for unstable individuals to treat their targets as if they were Hitler.
From communist theorists who justified violence for the “greater good” to activists today who excuse censorship and even bloodshed, the seeds of violence have been sown for decades. Some have normalized contempt for religion, civility and free speech — creating a climate where violence against opponents becomes inevitable.
We are at a turning point. The path we choose will define America. We can either continue down the road of hatred and political violence, or recover the virtues that Charlie embodied — faith in God, civility and honest dialogue.
Charlie Kirk wanted to be remembered for his faith. And so he shall be. On the Sunday after his death, churches across the country were packed because of Charlie. People turned to God again because of Charlie. “Through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4)
