Please, Conversation not Assassination
Dr. Glenn Mollette
Charlie Kirk was a man who had opinions and vocalized them. He believed in free speech. He also believed in the right of free speech for those who disagreed with him. In his Turning Point rallies, he gave untold numbers of people the opportunity to express their opinions and to debate him. He respectfully gave each person the time to state their case on whatever the subject. Charlie was adamant, profound and articulated strong convictions.
Sadly, a deranged 22-year-old man from Utah took Charlie’s life. It has been reported that the gunman had previously stated at a family dinner that he thought Kirk was filled with hate. When Kirk spoke at a University rally in Utah, the gunman plotted and positioned himself to shoot a single long-range rifle shot that took Kirk’s life. The man ran back to his home where he later had no choice but to confess to his father that he was indeed the man who had been videotaped at the rally who took Charlie Kirk’s life. The lone assassin is an evil coward who silenced one of America’s star voices. At least he thought he did. Charlie Kirk has become more known and his sound clips have been heard more in the last few days than in his entire ministry/career. Kirk has been propelled by the assassin to a status in American culture that will never be forgotten. Instead of silencing Kirk he magnified Kirk’s voice and message a hundred or more times. Kirk is now being remembered around the world.
Charlie Kirk used his voice. Every American is entitled to this freedom. His voice cost him his life.
Abraham Lincoln gave his life reuniting our country and abolishing slavery. A cowardly assassin took Lincoln’s life as he leisurely watched a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy used his voice to excite the American people and to bring about a positive attitude in the country, but was gunned down by an assassin from a hidden window in downtown Dallas, Texas. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man with a great voice who stirred the hearts of millions of Americans and brought about liberating change for black Americans. An assassin who disagreed with King cowardly hid and took King’s life with a bullet. Malcom X and Bobby Kennedy were orators for positive change in America but someone who disagreed with their views killed them.
The greatest voice of hope, love, change and forgiveness, who ever lived, was Jesus Christ. A cowardly crowd yelled for him to be executed.
These mentioned voices were not silenced by hideous crowds or hidden gunmen. Each of their voices have rung loudly and clearly. Their legacies have only grown bolder and stronger.
It is sad that Charlie Kirk’s assassin did not go down to the rally, stand up like a man and challenge Kirk in a debate. He could have told Kirk what he thought about him and given Kirk a chance to respond. But no, he was a weak, spineless man filled with more hate than probably anyone in America at that given moment. It’s one thing to have a hateful, negative thought, but it’s another to allow hate to act itself out in such a way.
Violence is never the answer. Let’s keep America free. Free to speak, free to debate, free to practice and express our religion. Let’s have peaceful and strong conversation not assassination.
