Why I Admire Charlie Kirk

Alexandra Buxbaum/Sipa USA via AP Images

I was never a fan of Charlie Kirk. I don’t say that because I want to put some self-serving distance between myself and the father, son, and husband who was murdered in cold blood on Wednesday, but because I don’t want to convey a false familiarity or fondness between us that didn’t exist. I was highly critical of Kirk in life. That’s just the truth of it.

Death is clarifying, though, and I’ve spent the hours since some monster robbed the world of the ubiquitous activist thinking about what made Kirk so special. And make no mistake, he was special. Before he turned 30, he had changed thousands of minds, accumulated millions of adoring fans, and become a confidant of a president.

When you disagree with someone, it’s easy to attribute their success to their worst perceived character traits — their malleable principles, their unscrupulous pursuit of self-interest, etc.. But most people are a whole person, rather than the unflattering caricatures we concoct of them.

Kirk was no exception, and part of what made him so exceptionally effective was his unfailing affability. The Turning Point USA founder would never moderate his opinions so as to cater to the sensibilities of the media, or the left-wing students he made a career of sparring with. He said what he meant regardless of how abrasive it might have come across.

But he was always so impressively in control of how he made his point, if not in his word choice, than in his delivery. Kirk argued with a smile and an even-keeled tone that conveyed respect for the other side rather than the palpable disdain for it that so many others — including this author — often exhibit. It wasn’t merely impressive, it was admirable.

Another remarkable characteristic of Kirk’s was his bravery. Kirk was fewer than five years older than myself. We largely grew up in the same world, and both were conservative campus activists, even if the scale didn’t compare. One time, after I registered my discontent with the student government’s decision to raise money for Planned Parenthood in the campus paper, I was subsequently subjected to a torrent of abuse from my peers, including many that I considered friends. It nearly drove me crazy, and I was distraught for months.

Kirk subjected himself to much, much worse than that day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. While many activists, media organizations, and other prominent figures build audiences and net worthes by rattling off vapid applause line after vapid applause line to people who already agree with them, Kirk made a career of telling the truth as he saw it in enemy territory. And to hear him tell it, he did so for an even more noble reason than advancing his cause.

“When people stop talking, that’s when violence happens,” he explained in one conversation. “That’s when civil war happens, because you start to think the other side is so evil, and they lose their humanity.”  That’s a lot of wisdom from someone whose critics were loath to attribute any to.

Finally, there’s the most important aspect of Kirk’s public legacy: his witness. When he launched his flagship organization, it was largely committed to economic issues. “Socialism Sucks” was among its most popular and effective early rallying cries.

But later, Kirk became an outspoken Christian activist who spent an enormous amount of time and energy directing people toward not just better policies, but a higher calling.

“Jesus will give you Peace.”

“Jesus defeated death so you can live.”

“The most important thing is to win souls for Jesus Christ.”

In recent years, Kirk emerged as one of the most outspoken Christian advocates in the country at a moment when talking about religion is increasingly taboo, and proselytization is subject to scorn. Even if he left behind nothing else — and, to be clear, he’s leaving behind quite a lot — that alone would render his life one well-lived.

Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk. Neither you nor your virtues will be forgotten.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.