I didn’t know Charlie Kirk.
I didn’t know Charlie Kirk’s family.
I had hoped our paths would cross when he recently visited GB News for an interview but in the end the timing just didn’t work out.
Yet I was, I am, a big supporter of Charlie Kirk.
Only yesterday morning, I was jogging around my local park, trying to make sense of the brutal murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Who did I turn to? Charlie Kirk.
As I listened to his thoughts, I remember thinking how utterly fearless, intelligent, quick, courageous, patriotic, and insightful this 31-year-old man was.
And then, only a few hours later, Charlie would be murdered, assassinated, while doing the very thing he committed his life to and what democracy asks of us.
He was in the public square.
He was meeting his fellow citizens.
He was debating in good faith with people who held different beliefs and opinions.
And, above all, he was encouraging young people to engage with the political process and take responsibility for their lives.
He was, in many respects, an ideal citizen –somebody who understood and cherished the importance of deliberation, dialogue, free speech, and, yes, healthy disagreement.
I didn’t really sleep last night, thinking about Charlie Kirk, his young children, his family, and where America goes next.
Like millions of others, I have struggled with one video in particular, which every parent, every father, will immediately relate to.
So, I started reading in the middle of the night and eventually came across one line that brought me, and might bring some of you, some comfort.
“They tried to bury us”, it begins, “but they didn’t know we were seeds”.
Let me write that again.
They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.
Doesn’t that speak powerfully to what Charlie Kirk was all about?
A man who chose to spend his time on this earth moving from one college campus to another, one debating tent to another, one college stadium to another, planting seeds among the young people of America, among his fellow citizens?
And doesn’t it speak powerfully to what will now surely be Charlie Kirk’s remarkable legacy – all those seeds, in the years and decades ahead, growing into something that is truly powerful, influential, and long-lasting, a legacy that his family, his children, and their children can look at with an immense sense of pride?
Charlie Kirk was a believer in democracy.
He was a citizen, a patriot, and above all a father, husband, and man of faith.
He will be missed by many millions of people around the world.
And while he only had 31 years to do his work he still managed to leave a legacy that will continue to shape America and indeed the West for many, many more years to come.
Rest in Peace Charlie Kirk.
Our condolences to your family and your loved ones, and our thoughts to all of our American readers who will no doubt be waking up today with an even greater sense of alarm and concern about the current state and future direction of their country.
I’m a great fan of Charlie Kirk and his murder is beyond comprehension. I hope his family take some succour from the kind words of support from around the world. Charlie offered hope and meaning through having difficult conversations and challenging people to make their case. This is the ultimate point of civilisation to be able to talk and resolve differences. I think this is why the reaction to his death is so shocking in some cases, certainly by those saying he deserved it in some way. Those with that view need to take a break and think deeply about the words they use and what kind of world they want to live in when simply talking gets you killed.
Thank you for your amazing words. It’s up to us older Americans to water the seeds that Charlie planted, to nurture them with our love and support. Godspeed you home, Charlie Kirk 💔.