Charlie Kirk and the Crisis of Free Speech in America

By John Klar, Contributor, The MAHA Report

I met Charlie Kirk here in Vermont back in November of 2021, when he spoke at the uber-liberal University of Vermont in his “Exposing Critical Racism Tour.” Especially for such a young man, he was profoundly intelligent and confident, exhibiting a Christian faith and outspoken courage that was matched by humility and grace.

He stayed after his presentation, and we were able to chat briefly before he posed with me for a photo. I gifted him a bottle of “Vermont Liberty” maple syrup – our own brand, sporting the motto “Nothing’s Sweeter Than Vermont Liberty!”

When the iconic conservative Kirk was shot on September 10, I was in the halls of Congress petitioning both Democrats and Republicans to reject a House appropriations bill provision (Section 453) that would create immunity from legal liability for pesticide manufacturers and undermine chemical product labeling. Charlie’s shooting hung over our effort, and the building itself, like a dismal pall.

I felt a deep desire that the perpetrator of this heinous political crime would be severely punished, but it appears the shooter may have escaped. Perhaps more upsetting than the killing were the shameless Facebook and other social media posts (and political statements) that made excuses for his killing or even praised this young man’s murder. I said my nightly Lord’s Prayer, reminding me that Charlie would likely agree with the Christian command that we must forgive others as we would have God forgive us.

Picture by the AP

I woke at 4 AM, too disturbed by Charlie’s murder to sleep. In the dark early morning, I felt as if some political or cultural rubicon had been crossed. How much left wing hatred and dehumanizing rhetoric are we conservatives to accept? The one-party extremism of many on today’s left calls all Republicans racists, or misogynists, or Nazis. Respecting people’s freedom to vote for a candidate of their choice has been flushed down the left wing ideological toilet along with the right to express any party-divergent opinion whatsoever.

Charlie Kirk was exceptional in his bold willingness to speak truth to hatred, with civility. He took the Voltairian creed, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” to heart, engaging young people in debate across the country with smiles and good-natured humor. Escalating left wing intolerance and dehumanization of conservatives has turned the saying upside down, and the nation too.

On September 11, I heard eulogies about the 911 attacks intermingled with lamentations for Charlie Kirk. While in a U.S. Senator’s office, I heard a trumpet or bugle playing “taps” in our nation’s capitol. I presumed it was for Charlie Kirk, though it may have been to commemorate the bombing of the Twin Towers. The convergence of the two events bears reflection.

One life is not equal to thousands, yet in many ways, the killing of the young conservative activist was worse than the planes flying suicidally into buildings in 2001. The culprits there met instant death, whereas Americans face the prospect that Charlie’s murder may go unavenged. The great contrast, though, is that the 911 attacks united the country; this one divided it more than perhaps ever before. 911 involved foreign terrorists, and this one was likely domestic.

Charlie would not want violence met with violence, I’m certain. But there is a sense that enough is enough – that the cowardly, despicable celebration of a young father’s murder is the last political straw. Who will carry the torch for on-campus debate the way that Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA did? What hope is there for higher education when it is saturated with Marxism, racism, and intolerance?

Picture by The AP

Charlie dropped out of college and undertook his own education, and he could out-debate most attorneys or modern orators. He held up a light for young people, shining the way toward intense but civil intellectual debate that once marked true liberalism. But questioning the transgender narrative, LGBTQ rainbow “pride” banners, the genocidal attacks by Hamas against Jews, the science behind mRNA vaccines or climate change – these and other topics that Charlie routinely featured are verboten to the elitist, neo-liberal scourge that has infected so many American youth and a horde of blue-haired old ex-hippies.

There is no democracy without free speech, and those saying they are fighting fascists and upholding democracy do not tolerate free speech. I was reminded of others who have been silenced for daring to speak up, especially the young Kennedy brothers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Charlie’s silencing marks a new determination in my life to speak more loudly than ever, and not be silenced by thugs and killers. I am hardly alone – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been speaking loudly despite shockingly uncivil attacks by U.S. Senators in the halls of Congress. I will stand up against these bullies and liars more forcefully now in Charlie’s memory. I will not stoop to threats of violence; I will rise to the courage these men and others exhibit.

I am more than twice as old as Charlie Kirk was, yet I have not accomplished a fraction of what he achieved merely by fearlessly deploying his voice and pen. All who value liberty and respectful discourse must continue the conversations that Charlie Kirk grabbed firmly by the horns. Let’s not allow Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stand alone against his false accusers.

Picture by the AP

Let’s elevate more brave voices to counter the mainstream media-enabled silencing of conservative (or even moderate) dissent. No, men cannot choose to be women. No, mRNA vaccines were not safe and effective. No, masking and social distancing were not “real science.” No, Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be slaughtered. No, guns are not the problem. And no, it was not President Donald Trump’s fault that he was killed.

Key takeaways

– The killing of Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, and the widespread celebration and gaslighting of this horrible murder, is dividing Americans even further. Charlie would not want that.

– Charlie Kirk was an exceptionally gifted speaker whose contributions to critical thinking and free speech must be championed now more than ever.