Members of the U.S. Secret Service counter sniper team walk onto the roof of the White House after the American flag at the White House in Washington, was lowered to half-staff after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed at an event in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
Members of the U.S. Secret Service counter sniper team walk onto the roof of the White House after the American flag at the White House in Washington, was lowered to half-staff after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed at an event in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
I am saddened by the death of anyone, anywhere, who is the victim of gun violence. Such was the case when I learned of Charlie Kirk’s death, even though I had never heard of the man.
When his murder was described as an assassination and President Donald Trump ordered American flags to be flown at half mast, I thought this guy must be an important leader. I need to learn more about him.
Information about him online was plentiful. Wikipedia described him as a 31-year-old conservative political activist, author and media personality. He was a co-founder of Turning Point USA and served as its executive director. According to the organization's website, the mission of Turning Point USA is to “identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government.â€
I was starting to understand why I never heard of him. I’m 79, not a student and of a different political persuasion. In my research on him, I kept coming across the word “controversial.†It didn’t take much more clicking to find out why.
He promoted false claims of election fraud in 2020 and organized “Stop the Steal†events. He said his organization was sending “80 buses of patriots†to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. We all saw on live TV what that turned into.
In responding to what he called the “China virus,†he called masking and vaccine mandates “medical apartheid.â€
He opposed LGBTQ rights by referring to selective Bible passages, conveniently ignoring others.
He dismissed systemic racism and white privilege as myths and claimed the Civil Rights Act was a “huge mistake.â€
He minimized gun deaths, comparing them to car accidents, suggesting the rights outweigh casualties. Ironic, given how his life ended.
If you’re so inclined, you can find much more online regarding his views on abortion, Christian Nationalism, immigration, non-Christian religions, homelessness and other topics. Whether you agree with him or not, you will understand why he was called controversial.
Last week, I went to a high school soccer game. As is customary, before the game we all stood with hats off and hands over hearts as the national anthem was played over the PA system. We were staring at an American flag at one end of the stadium that was half-way down the pole.
All I could do was bow my head and wonder how we’ve come to this. The flag I’m honoring is being flown at half-mast honoring someone who, frankly, I’m glad I never heard of.
