Remembering Charlie Kirk
On Sunday evening, close to 1,000 people walked to the top of the Ravenel Bridge to honor Charlie Kirk. Pastor Joe Warring led us in prayer, bagpipes played "Amazing Grace," and we held a moment of silence.
Charlie Kirk was a husband and a father. He was a powerful and persuasive voice for his beliefs. He was a patriot and a devout and unapologetic Christian. We mourn his death, and our prayers go out to his wife and young children.
While it is, first and foremost, right to feel anguish at his murder, I also find myself filled with outrage - a righteous anger at what led to this, some of the commentary that we've already heard, and the inevitable rewriting of history to come.
Many - not all - of those who disagreed with Charlie Kirk are already working to disparage him and his work. Even some of the more mainstream voices on the left couch their statements denouncing his murder by adding that his rhetoric was extreme, hateful, or divisive. There is nothing extreme about beliefs held by more than half of Americans. There was nothing hateful or divisive about the way Charlie interacted with those with whom he disagreed. And no speech should ever be met with violence.
We have also heard the inevitable "both sides" arguments. But only one side calls conservatives Nazis. Only one side freely labels conservatives "threats to democracy." Only one side excuses and celebrates political violence.
One side trots out deliberately misleading statistics to equate apolitical violence committed by apolitical deranged individuals with declared political violence. President Trump faced two assassination attempts last year. Lee Zeldin was attacked with a knife on stage at an event. Steve Scalise was nearly killed by a man who asked, "Is this where the Republicans are?" before opening fire on Republican legislators on a baseball field.
One side excuses and too often celebrates violence. We denounce it. One side riots and burns cities. We hold peaceful and patriotic vigils. These are not the same.
It is critical that we continue to demand accountability from the left. If the leaders on the left routinely label their opposition Nazis or proclaim them "threats to democracy," it inevitably leads to someone taking up violence against conservatives. If murderers are celebrated and lionized, we will have more murders. Demanding accountability isn't payback, it's self-defense.
The great and sad irony is that those who disparage Charlie Kirk are engaged in the worst kind of slander. Charlie set up events to foster dialog. He went where conservatives weren't welcome, set up a tent, and answered questions. Those who disagreed with him were given the microphone first. He treated people with respect and dignity and made the case for his conservative beliefs. That is the essence of democracy. It is the opposite of hate. And he was murdered for it.
We now face the question of what we can do moving forward.
First, share Charlie's message with those who have bought into the lies about him. You don't need to argue; Charlie already did that, and it's all on video. When someone repeats the same talking points and out-of-context quotes, simply ask them to watch ten minutes of Charlie Kirk interacting with those who disagreed with him. Then challenge them with a simple question: "Even if you disagree with his positions on the issues, was this man hateful?" We need to break through the misinformation.
Second, follow Charlie Kirk's lead not only by becoming more engaged, but also by reaching out to those with whom you most disagree - friends, family, colleagues. Do it in a respectful way. Listen to them and make your case. Try to convince them, find common ground, and agree to disagree at times. But plant the seed for them to someday change their minds.
That's what Charlie Kirk gave his life for. It is up to us to continue his work.
