“If you believe in something, you need to have the courage to fight for those ideas – not run away from them or try to silence them” – Charlie Kirk.
Over the past few days, I have been thinking a lot about the death of political activist and conservative leader Charlie Kirk. Despite never following Charlie Kirk or his political organization, Turning Point USA, persistently, I would frequently come across various clips of Kirk debating college students on college campuses across the country.
Even though I never completely agreed with Kirk’s stances, I held a deep respect for his faith, courage, and boldness in speaking up for conservatism, especially amongst America’s youth.
One of the things that I deeply admired about Kirk was his intentionality. Unlike many in his generation, Kirk did not solely rely on using social media and online platforms to speak about his message. Instead, he made it a point to bring his message directly to people by engaging in discussions on college campuses to talk with students about his beliefs. In a time when online echo chambers parade around this nation’s youth, Kirk brought the conversation to young people in person, face to face. This aspect of his movement, advocating for the importance of Christian beliefs in American society, will cement Kirk as one of the most prolific political leaders of the 21st century in American History.
Kirk was not only remarkably gifted at organizing conservative students across the country, but also at bringing young people together and keeping them engaged with politics. He believed in the power of communication and in the freedom granted to all Americans under the First Amendment. When faced with dissenting opinions during his conversations, Kirk never attempted to score mere political points. Instead, he used his platform to encourage students to think critically about their beliefs and the reasoning behind them.
Furthermore, unlike other civil rights leaders revered in the United States, Kirk actually upheld many of the beliefs he stood for. When discussing his pro-family values, Kirk consistently highlighted his marriage to his wife, Erika, frequently bringing her onto his podcast and to many Turning Point Events. When discussing his faith, Kirk didn’t just use the Bible and vague Christian phrases to attract other “religious” people to follow his movement; Christianity was foundational to everything he did.
In an interview last year with Russel Brand, Kirk said, “I’m nothing without Jesus. I’m a sinner. I fall incredibly short of the glory of God. We all do. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade, and it’s the most important decision I’ve ever made, and everything I do incorporates Jesus Christ.” In another interview, which has gone viral after Kirk’s death, he said, “I wanna be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith in my life,” in response to the question, “How do you want to be remembered?”
As a young conservative today, going through high school and now college during this post-COVID era of cancel culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion, black lives matter, and critical race theory, has been a challenge to say the least. Holding conservative stances is not just unpopular, but is seen by some as racist, xenophobic, and out of touch. There have been many times where I have self-censored in fear of not just being judged, but ridiculed for my beliefs.
For many, including myself, Charlie Kirk’s movement felt revolutionary. Kirk’s tenacity in speaking openly about his belief in Christ, as well as how that faith influenced his outlook on politics, made me feel encouraged that conservatism was not an out-of-touch or outdated ideology. His political activism showed America that conservatism was not a dead idea amongst America’s youth; it just needed to be propped up by more young voices. His movement inspired me and other young conservatives, reassuring us that holding values like being pro-God, pro-family, pro-America, and pro-freedom were not outdated ideas, as the left often insinuates. Kirk advocated that these shared values are for all those who believe that traditionalism, moralism, and championing other pro-Western beliefs are key to advancing American civilization.
Charlie Kirk’s death was a significant shock to many young conservatives across the nation and the world. His leadership influenced a generation of young people not to be afraid to hold views that society has deemed problematic. Though Kirk’s passing has made many of us who are involved with conservative organizations on college campuses disillusioned, disoriented, and concerned about how to move forward with our advocacy, we must not let fear stop our work.
Charlie Kirk has left an enormous legacy, and whether we fully agree with him or not, conservatives across the country, from high school to college, must now step up. Just like Kirk made an impact, we must now be willing to have the boldness and the courage to be the respectful conservative voice on our campuses to our peers.
It is now time for us to carry the torch. We must continue to advocate to others that the future of America will be bright so long as we uphold our beliefs in God, family, and freedom. We must also continue Kirk’s work in supporting a respectful political discourse, as it is the only way to tear down the walls of division that separate us as Americans.
