A Hero Falls Redux: The Ultimate Price of Freedom

This author grew up a diehard Boston Red Sox fan, bitter rival to the New York Yankees. Yet their two class acts this week, memorializing Charlie Kirk then setting differences aside to welcome President Trump, have tendered this author's heart. Contrast with the repugnant reaction of a certain horror author and Red Sox fan from Bangor.

A couple years back I was ready to throw in the towel of my support for President Trump, considering he was going too far in his reactions even accounting for how much he was unfairly being attacked both by official measures and general vitriol. I still stand by what I said there, and reaffirm my oath to support & defend the Constitution of the United States for so long as it remains in place as our supreme law of the land. Nevertheless it would be an understatement to say President Trump's comeback from that point is one for the history books.

Then we came to this week in which memorialization was a given with 24 years since the 9/11 attacks. As part of the Millennial generation I remember perfectly where I was as that happened, and in years since have become among those who memorialize the Twin Towers more than average. A photograph here, a papercraft there, all to recall fonder times and serve as reminder that sometimes we only learn to truly appreciate something after it is lost.

So it is for Charlie Kirk, who deserves to go down in history as the Martin Luther King of our generation. I typically save spiritual posts for springtime, making exceptions only for exceptional occurrences; this is one of those. It has been a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings, so for today's post I simply collect mine.

Difference Maker

I knew, in an intellectual sense, that Turning Point USA was a significant part of what won Trump all seven key swing states in November. I knew Charlie Kirk (whom I met once at First Baptist Dallas) and listened to his show on Salem Radio, identifying much of his intellectual capacity with my own [while considering from time to time that, if life circumstances were different, I could have been just like him]. After he was murdered this week, it became highlighted by media from all sides how much of a difference he made.

He was a warrior of revival, not just for the cause of love of country but for Jesus Christ. His outreach to young people, subjected to terrible brainwashing on our nation's campuses these days, spurred critical thinking which alone was enough to free many from the mental prisons the Left wishes to impose. And he was able to do it all in the love of Christ, without anger and always with testimony (the key trait he has in common with Dr. King). In this regard Charlie Kirk is a better man than I am: I may communicate well, but many has been a time passions get me caught up in the moment and I say something I regret. Now I wish more than ever I could be like Charlie.

The Turning Point

It was just a few short months ago the tragedy in Kerr County prompted a reflection of how evil people can be in politicizing tragedy, and this week that has gone up to 11. Matthew Dowd, Stephen King, the pundits of MSNBC, Congresswoman Omar, and people from all walks of life could not resist the urge to broadcast slander about Charlie and essentially dance on his grave before the blood had been cleaned up. The very ones who subscribe to causes claiming appeal to human decency openly abandoned that very concept, and everyone who observes can tell they are only showing their true colors doing so.

The matter is not that Charlie Kirk died; those of us who are born-again Christians like him know he is in a far better place now. The matter is not even the motive of his assassin, something already entering the process of conspiracy theorization. No, the real matter is how people respond to such an attack on our fundamentally American principles.

Charlie Kirk never hurt anyone in his life, never presented any kind of threat save denying those greedily vying for political power (the parallels to Dr. King continue in this regard). Many disagreed with him and he knew that, and his response was to invite peaceful dialogue on those issues which many today (even from the Left) agree is the most American approach. That anyone would regard someone like Charlie as worthy of having something happen to him or his family just because they cannot deal with the fact that he sees the world differently and can communicate that well enough to change minds is not just evil and un-American, but [more importantly for the future of the country] proves that the radicals' ideas are not strong enough for peaceful engagement...and they know it, which is why they excuse and even glorify advancing their cause through violence.

Because of this the writing is on the wall for the American Left. Crazy radicals shall continue being crazy radicals, but they are a shrinking minority as those who lean Left who nevertheless still have an objective sense of humanity in them are getting rightfully repulsed at the mere hint of suggestion that Charlie Kirk had it coming to him. Voters are already defecting en masse, those [of us] striving to carry the torch for Charlie are rising up by the thousands, sane people from all sides of the political spectrum are reflecting on the need to set differences aside, and the Right in power no longer has incentive to compromise due to it now being official that attempting to reach across the aisle is liable to get one murdered for it. Add all that up, and the future for the Left in America is [deservedly] the bleakest it has ever been.

New Direction

I have now fulfilled what I stated a while back to start a Substack, which in name I dedicate to the legacy Charlie Kirk (along with a clever personal twist) with wish to be part of carrying on what he started [if only a small part thereof]. As planned I will place sociopolitical posts to it while keeping this blog focused on my hobby and general interests, save for the annual spiritual message. It has always been my wish to do as Charlie did: use my capacity to communicate to reach others for Christ.

May America rise from this tragedy to return to God...and, yes, become Great Again!

"You knew enough to [teach] that how we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life...Good words: that's where ideas comes from. Maybe you should listen to them. I was wrong about you, and I'm sorry."

-Dr. David Marcus to his father Admiral James T. Kirk, Star Trek II (1981)