He was killed one year ago today. I can remember when Turning Point USA started; I didn’t think much of him, I’ll be honest. Especially in the early days, I didn’t think it was useful or helpful to troll the Left. Whatever the “conservative movement” is or was, I still think ideas are important, and because ideas have to do in this sphere with how people govern themselves, persuading people should be the goal of politics and policy.
If there is any meaning to the terms “far Left” and “far Right,” I think it would have to apply to people who are unwilling to tolerate those who differ from them, up to and including using violence to achieve their goals. In that way, Charlie Kirk absolutely was quaint in his belief in persuasion. He became a Christian somewhere in there. And I don’t say that so I can praise him to the skies; I’m not a middle-aged liberal Catholic deacon who reviews movies on the side. And I don’t think I’m the rightist opposite, either. Kirk definitely made me uncomfortable more than once. I definitely don’t think he deserved to die.
I would have to say that the man had a certain patience and courage. He could be found at college campuses, because he believed that the young were the future. Our political class has somehow managed to delay the future, mostly to our detriment. Even when the young take their place, we may have to re-learn the lessons of communism and atheistic socialism all over again. Hopefully that cost isn’t paid in blood, as it was before.
At least Charlie Kirk won’t have to worry about it.
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