Last week, after more than a decade of dialogue, Charlie Kirk stopped talking. But not by choice.
A follower of Christ, devoted husband, doting father, and historic thought leader, Charlie had and will continue to have a profound impact on American culture.
His work impacted the course of our lives. As a Turning Point USA alum and current chapter president, Charlie inspired us to do more than we ever could have thought we were capable of.
As founded by Charlie, TPUSA’s mission is to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government – not at gunpoint, but through robust debate.
While there thousands of TPUSA chapters on college and high school campuses in every state, Wyoming was anything but flyover country to Charlie.
He cared deeply about the policy fights on and off campus in Wyoming.He took time to personally advise and encourage us. He recognized all the work we’d done with our little TPUSA chapter and helped spur a free speech revolution at UW.
Like he always did, Charlie prioritized handing the microphone to those who disagreed with him during his visit to the Arts & Sciences Auditorium in April, inviting conversation on issues that matter.
Wyoming Senate Minority Floor Leader and UW professor Chris Rothfuss reasoned that Charlie’s assassination as merely a reaction to “oppression.”
What Rothfuss doesn’t realize is that Charlie’s mission of promoting smaller government and the saving grace of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death for our sins isn’t oppressive – it's liberating.
Free speech, a value every American ought to stand for, is what Charlie died for. Just like the Patriots of Old, he died on principle, believing in the values that made this country the envy of the world.
Charlie didn’t just build a movement — he built a family, and leaves behind a young widow, a toddler girl, and a baby boy.
As the head of his household, Charlie guided his family with gentleness and love. While only 31, he led by example for the rest of us, giving us all habits to emulate.
Every Saturday, Charlie and his wife would power off their cell phones to truly rest, to dedicate their attention to their kids and to each other, and to be present.
In light of the vitriol online celebrating Charlie’s assassination, we should all follow suit and let our screens go dark.
Those cheering last week’s murder are a tiny, albeit deeply troubled minority.
May their ghoulish joy over the death of Charlie Kirk motivate us to never cease in our fight for what’s right — and may we strive to be as effective as Charlie in our own endeavors.
Jessie Rubino serves as the Wyoming State Director for the State Freedom Caucus Network. During her undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming, Rubino launched the UW TPUSA chapter.
Gabe Saint is a first-year law student at the University of Wyoming College of Law and serves as the chapter president of Turning Point USA.
