Feature image provided by Charlie Kirk’s Instagram
By Aidan McNeely
On Sep. 10, an influential Christian, conservative, and owner of Turning Point USA, was assassinated during an event on the campus of the University of Utah.
Charlie Kirk’s killing has left many citizens devastated, resulting in a wide range of reactions from both sides of the media, of the left and the right. University students across the nation are voicing their opinions, including our campus at William Peace University.
“I think it’s sad,” said Grayson Scott, a senior and business administration major. “I think that regardless of your political opinion, it’s really sad that someone was publicly murdered like that.”
No matter your political views, Scott points out the moral side of the situation and the responsibility people have to think and act ethically.
“I also think, if you can rejoice in someone’s death like that, then you kind of need to look at yourself a little bit, regardless of their views,” said Scott. “If you can hate someone that much, that you can kill someone based on their political opinion, then that kind of just says something right there.”
Dr. Elizabeth Kusko, associate professor of political science and director of its criminal justice, political science, and pre-law programs, commented on the assassination.
“It’s obviously awful,” said Kusko. “I think that the biggest lesson and the biggest thing we need to keep our eye on and move toward, is that we can all agree that political violence is not the way.”
Dr. Kusko said the potential cause of the shooting appears to be heavily political.
“This was like a blatant political assassination,” says Kusko. “It just was, even though he didn’t hold any political power, he was super politically connected, and he was an activist, and it is tragic and horrible.”
She mentions that the first amendment is an, “amazing thing” and that it protects our freedom of speech. Which is exactly why it doesn’t justify killing anyone over political differences.
Additionally she discourages her students from any type of political violence.
“What I always tell my students is I know you either love them or hate them,” said Kusko. “You have to imagine if it was like your guy that was just killed for his political views and his freedom of speech and you always have to switch it, because if it’s not okay for your guy, then it’s not okay for this guy, and honestly, it’s not good for any of us as a country.”
Junior marketing major and men’s lacrosse player Dylan Sullivan noted his beliefs on what happened.
“Nobody deserves to die no matter what, no matter what you believe in, politically, there should never be that much hate towards someone that they need to go out and get killed,” said Sullivan. “I don’t really have a political stance, but I did see some of his videos online, and it sucks, you know, it’s, it’s not good watching somebody die for no reason online, and it shows people are kind of heartless when it comes to politics.”
In the aftermath of this event, many students and faculty and are wondering what this might mean for the future of the United States of America.
“It’s either going to be a turning point toward even worse polarization, even worse division,” said Kusko. “It’s coming from the left, it’s coming from the right, like, hopefully the turning point goes toward unity and like, this is enough, this is enough extremism.”