Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck at Utah University during his American Come Back Tour Event On September 10th at 12:23 pm MT.
A supposed act of political violence, many fled the scene due to fear, while Charlie Kirk was immediately rushed out to Emergency Care. A couple hours later, at 2:40 pm MT, Kirk was announced dead on social media.
Charlie Kirk was a right-wing political figure allied with current President Donald Trump, and was also a founder of Turning Point USA. Touring around the United States and debating University students on political policy, many criticized his standing on immigration, women’s rights, international intervention, and gun restrictions.
With his recent death, there was an upturning on social platforms as many people sympathized with his death, while others pointed out the hypocrisy of the situation. Although gun violence has existed for years, and many have protested, there has been no grand reform in gun laws since 2022 with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which only expanded background check requirements. Many of alleged reforms have been downturned by the Senate due to right-wing ideology of protecting the Second Amendment right.
As Charlie Kirk had once said, “It’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment.”
After Kirk’s death, President Trump released a press video for the American public, condemning only the far left for political violence and murder across the nation, sparking anger once again within social media platforms.
“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree. For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans, like Charlie, to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now,” said President Trump in his press release.
The presidential speech, posed Charlie Kirk as a Martyr, going as far as lowering the White Houses’ flag. In addition, on September 18th the Senate floor called for October 14th to be designated as Charlie Kirk’s remembrance day, which was unanimously consented to. All which has divided the American people, through discussions online regarding government policy, and action in this instance of gun violence compared to other instances.
With the current political climate, as the government is passing laws affecting immigrant communities across the nation through massive raids, taking away Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies (DEI), and taking away women’s autonomy rights, many feel Trump’s concerns after Kirk’s death are irrelevant. Government Policies have already contributed to violence across the nation, only worsening after Kirk’s death as freedom of press and speech is threatened.
“Though they talk about freedom of speech, that’s supposedly what they’re celebrating Kirk for… when Kimmel does that, then there’s repercussions,” explains Mr. Moreno, a history teacher of 11 years from HPHS.
Freedom of speech is every American’s first amendment right. However, Kirk’s death, along with Trump’s acknowledgment, has allowed for instances of shutting down those who do not agree with right wing ideology. An instance that is seen in Jimmy Kimmel’s show suspension after commenting on the Utah shooting.
The government only recognizing instances of violence because of Charlie Kirk’s death, is what people fear will allow for further justification of a hate-filled system, where people do not have freedom of speech.
Written by Monserrath Bucio M., News Editor