At age 18, Charlie Kirk started Turning Point USA to bring back the ideals upon which this nation was founded: faith in Christ, love of country, the honor of marriage and raising children, the determination to live for something more than self-gratification. Charlie left college, sought out mentors, read voraciously, and with his very special gifting, made a huge impact on the nation and the world.
Charlie was controversial because he came against conventional wisdom. He went to college campuses to debate with the young people that were there. He tried to show them through logic and truth that some of their preconceived notions needed to be reexamined. He gave them a different way to think about what they had been taught, examine those things against reality, against outcomes, and decide if there wasn’t a better way. Those who disagreed with him went to the front of the line to try to Prove him Wrong.
Charlie made enemies because he made inroads on the brainwashing of many of today’s young people. And in the end, he paid with his life. Charlie was assassinated because his message was too powerful; he was too influential; he was too successful. Therefore, his enemies had to lie about him, take him out of context, call him a fascist, a racist, and a hater.
Those who hated Charlie—who disagreed with his Christian faith, disagreed with his opposition to DEI—would try so hard to catch him in a contradiction. Unable to do that, it was just easier for them to edit his comments and spread lies to paint Charlie Kirk as a caricature of himself. Today many people define Charlie Kirk through those misconceptions.
It is telling that the reaction to his murder did not evoke universal outrage among the crowd who speaks of tolerance and acceptance. Many were so blinded by hatred of Charlie’s message that they glossed over the horror that his killer laid in wait for his opportunity to ambush Charlie and shoot him in front of 3000 people, depriving his family of a husband and father of two toddlers.
The facts about Charlie’s death didn’t stop the comment that his support of the second amendment caused his own demise. He had said that yes there are tragic deaths associated with the 2nd amendment, but guns are still worth having and keeping to defend yourself, and the founders believed in the value of an armed citizenry to ward off tyranny. His critics used this comment to show his disregard for the lives of the innocent. What they failed to note was Charlie’s further explanation that we lose 50,000 people a year in car accidents, but would we ban the use of cars and so spare those innocent lives? In all things there are tradeoffs, and in this instance, the case for self-defense and a guard against a tyrannical government is worth it.
Another claim they made against Charlie was racism. At one time he was discussing United Airlines’ new company policy that 50% of new pilots would be minorities or women. Charlie was always traveling and made the comment on how this policy would make him look differently at the pilot of his flight. A huge deal was made of that comment, even though he went on to explain that 90% of people qualified to train for commercial flight are white men. So if that is the case, where are you going to find enough qualified people to fill that self-imposed quota of 50% minority.
There are many more examples of these claims made against Charlie Kirk, and for anyone interested, the truth is easy to find.
When I learned of Charlie’s death, I was with someone who didn’t know who he was. As an explanation, of all the things I knew about Charlie Kirk, the first things that came to mind were that he was the guy who told people to get married, have children, love God, love your country.
What has happened since that day he died is remarkable. Remarkable in the international outpouring of love and respect and the cry of so many to pick up the mantle and say, “I am Charlie Kirk.” His dream will not die but instead has lit a fire in many others to carry on the mission.
There is a price to pay to speak your mind, but it will set you free.
Geri McCaleb was born in the Netherlands, the youngest of 5, and came to America with her family in 1951. Her hometown, Scheveningen, is a beach town near DE Hague on the North Sea. Her parents found a home in Grand Haven, a beach town on Lake Michigan. Her family lived through the years of Nazi occupation in Holland, and she grew up on stories of hardship and survival during those war years. It shaped her thinking and showed her the importance of faith in God and freedom. Geri served on Grand Haven City Council for 8 years, 2001 until 2009. She decided to run for Mayor in 2011 and served 4 terms ending in 2019. After her time with the city, she was a Community Columnist for the Tribune for several years. She and her husband and have 2 children and 4 grandchildren and now live in Grand Haven Township.
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