OPINION: THE DAY FREE SPEECH WAS ASSASSINATED

By: Linda Kirby/WGON

With the assassination of Charlie Kirk—the man known for his ability to talk to anyone, no matter their political persuasion, to reason, to exchange ideas and points of view—we not only lost a human being, we lost free speech.

Since the rise of social media, people have forgotten how to truly converse with one another. They used to tolerate differing opinions, ideas, and beliefs. Face-to-face, one was more apt to be polite and let the other speak their mind, knowing they’d get their turn to rebut with their own thoughts. But now, with social media, manners and mutual respect have eroded. Anonymity has given people license to be as abusive as they want—no accountability, no consequences. This behavior has flourished to a dangerous level. Minds have been changed irreparably.

Worse still, the very people who are supposed to rise above such behavior have begun sending out “dog whistles,” then outright instigating acts of violence. Public figures—people of high stature whom others look up to as role models—go on television and say the most vile things, riling up crowds and provoking unspeakable atrocities.

And yet, amid all that, we had at least one level-headed young man with a voice that resonated with many. Charlie Kirk, 31 father of two very young children and a beautiful wife, one who loved God, and country, was someone young people could listen to—someone with common sense, a cool temper, and a steady mind. He was someone they could look up to and aspire to emulate. He stood for freedom: the freedom to speak their minds even when others disagreed, the freedom to think independently, the freedom to reject calls to violence and manipulation. He taught them to think for themselves and break free from the shackles of mind control.

These young people finally had someone who reflected their values. No longer were they surrounded only by one-sided narratives, socialists, blue-haired radicals, or arrogant know-it-alls. They had Charlie Kirk.

Now, even Charlie Kirk has been taken from them. The free speech advocate of their time has been violently, and publicly, assassinated. Will free speech die with Charlie? Or is there another Charlie out there, ready to take up the baton and carry that legacy forward?

They may have killed the man—but his voice will echo through millions of “Charlies” across this country.