The killing of Charlie Kirk was an act that was, obviously so, a terrible event that has caused many who loved him, or knew him well, grief that is hard to measure. Even a non-violent death, like when I lost my grandpa, hurts every time I think about it. Charlie Kirk’s wife expressed a deep faith, even forgiveness, for what happened.
Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated and people used this to start World War I. When Abraham Lincoln was killed, there were those who used his death to argue down reconstruction. That eventually led to great restrictions on others, especially in the south, including Jim Crow laws and other losses of civil rights, such as buying a house for your kids. The same happened when M.L. King was killed, the streets across many cities ran with blood, there was so much rioting.
However, there were those who spoke at his funeral that were using him to foment violence. Stephen Miller spoke at his funeral, and across the country, called for hate and war on national television. A relative told me, “The gospel is being told across the country because of the message at Charlie Kirk’s funeral.” I didn’t hear that from Miller. He spoke of hate and called men to war.
Charlie Kirk and his death could be used to tear down legal guardrails of the U.S. Constitution. His death could be a rationale for the same rioting we all witnessed on January 6. It could be an excuse to fight those who had nothing to do with his death but fight for civil rights. His death could be a reason to call political opponents enemies that need to be crushed. We cannot listen to those calls, where Kirk’s death is nothing but an excuse to gain power, leading people to a path that will only cause more chaos, even death (remember January 6, if officers weren’t killed they committed suicide). Charlie Kirk cannot be used as an excuse to win politically by calling our opponents evil, or to do more angry violence. That will only cause more pain.
Stanley Harlan San Marcos
