On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was shot in front of more than 3,000 people, including his wife and children, for the crime of sharing his thoughts. This touched people throughout the country and shook me to my core as a Utah resident and former UVU student.

Yet, I was optimistic that this type of senseless, horrible violence on a young, innocent father of two would be a “turning point” for the country—that we would calm down and see each other as human beings once again, regardless of our political affiliations.

However, I am sad to report this is not the case. If America has a pulse, it can be found in online spaces like X, Facebook, TikTok, and the eternally disgusting Bluesky. Here, we can see that those on the left openly cheered a father, husband, son, and child of Christ being gunned down for his opinions.

I nearly turned away in disgust from these horrid celebrations but decided to face them head-on so I could fully understand: this is how the left sees us. The left truly believes the only kind of good conservative is a dead conservative.

The left has for years celebrated the deplatforming, the dehumanization, and the exile of those on the right. So much so, they celebrated when Donald Trump was nearly killed and openly cheered when Charlie Kirk was assassinated.

Make no mistake, Charlie Kirk is a free speech martyr and will never be forgotten. Days after Charlie’s assassination, his widow Erika gave one of the most powerful and courageous speeches I have ever witnessed, where she put her own suffering to the side to push a greater message: we must unite, we must grow, and we must fight back.

I am your normal middle-class, suburban father who doesn’t openly speak about his opinion. I do what I must and try to get the job done without much complaining. But the death of Charlie Kirk has changed that. I will begin posting my thoughts on this site so other conservatives know they’re not alone, and I hope others follow my lead.

Stop staying silent and do what Charlie Kirk would do: speak.