Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old, conservative political activist, was assassinated this week while speaking to college students. His killing was not an isolated event. There have been a spate of killings and attempted killings of politicians in the United States, claiming victims from both ends of the political spectrum.
Kirk’s killing was tragic and horrific, but not unexpected. Violence has become an all-too common component of life in the U.S. The turn to political violence, while not unprecedented, is rarer but becoming less so. This must stop. Every indication, however, suggests that it will continue.
Kirk was brash and outspoken and relished a good fight. He was a fearsome and unflinching advocate of conservative views on culture-war issues, always ready for combat on line, face-to-face or at an event. He turned that combativeness into an asset, using it to mobilize like-minded young people, creating a formidable grassroots movement.
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