I was just finishing grad school when Charlie Kirk began his career, and I can honestly say that I paid little attention to him or Turning Point USA until very recently. As I’m learning more about him and those who followed him, the tragedy of the loss is only magnified.
For those who may have agreed with his views (even if you found some of them problematic), the assassination brings a level of despair and disappointment that is likely unmatched in your lived experience. For others, you may find little sympathy for his death or feel conflicted about a man with whom you disagreed, but you understand that political violence is not the answer.
Whatever you’re feeling right now, to all of the college students and young adults trying to figure out how to work with each other and move forward in the aftermath: Be brave. Be brave enough to challenge the status quo with non-violence. Be brave enough to challenge your peers with grace, humility, and fortitude. Be brave enough to accept challenge from your peers with grace, humility, and fortitude.
I’ve spent most of my adult life working with and for organizations whose sole purpose is to support and promote the free exchange of ideas. And I can tell you that it is trying. Defeat is all too common. But experiencing that defeat only makes us more resilient.
I started reading Megyn Kelly’s book, “Settle for More,” recently. She opens with a recollection of the first Republican debate in 2015. I fondly remember sitting in my apartment with a dozen or so of my friends and colleagues, most of us in our mid-to-late 20s, gathered around pizza and the television as we watched Kelly challenge then-candidate Donald Trump on his public comments towards women. Her reputation ultimately paid the price for doing so.
I was at home with a new baby watching her program in 2018 on NBC when she came under scrutiny for making comments about blackface Halloween costumes, for which she immediately issued a public apology and admitted she was wrong.
Each of these scenarios have only solidified my opinion that Megyn Kelly is one of the bravest media professionals of all time. She and President Trump were, by all rights, allies on many issues, and still are. But she saw something she believed was problematic and knew she had to be brave enough to challenge him because it wouldn’t have had the same impact coming from anyone else. Later, she made some hasty remarks that may have reflected her views at the time, but she was open to challenge and criticism and ultimately corrected her position.
We won’t all be in a situation quite as public-facing as Megyn Kelly or Charlie Kirk, but that doesn’t mean those opportunities are any less important. One of our interns encountered a group of students in her campus bookstore last Wednesday evening and kindly explained to them why their public celebration of Kirk’s death wasn’t appropriate. If through your presence in your classes, with your student groups, in online spaces, and in your homes, you can create a shared respect for humanity and discourse, you will honor Charlie Kirk’s memory and the life of his family.
There will be times when you feel attacked. Be brave enough to take a breath and respond, rather than react. There will be times you will feel defeated. Be brave enough to take a breath and try again or admit that you were wrong. There will be times you will feel triumphant. Be brave enough to take a breath and remain humble.
This morning, my second grader was lamenting that some of his school friends weren’t sharing their toys at recess. Therefore, he wasn’t going to share. Of course, as a parent, I challenged him on this, “What do you think would happen if no one shared anything with each other? Someone has to break the cycle. Why not you?” And this lesson applies to the situation on our college campuses right now too. You can be the one who is brave enough to break the cycle.