Charlie Kirk on why people believe the "other side is so evil that they lose their humanity"

In mid-sentence, talking to a crowd of students about gang violence, Charlie Kirk was shot in the throat.

His assassination shocks and saddens me.

While I didn't agree with everything Charlie Kirk espoused, I loved the way he shared his ideas. His open-mic "prove me wrong" discussions and debates on college campuses were always respectful, no matter how rude or insulting his hecklers could be. In a time when "tolerance" and "fairness" are words much-abused, he was an example of their true meaning.

His book, College Is a Scam, should be essential reading for every high school student.

He'd never attended college himself, yet he was more well-read than most graduates and more articulate than many professors.

Charlie Kirk famously said (on multiple occasions), “When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence; that’s when civil war happens, because you start to think the other side is so evil that they lose their humanity.”

I pray people keep talking and trying to understand each other, even if Charlie Kirk's voice will no longer be a part of the discussion.

John C.A. Manley

P.S. For a snapshot of Charlie Kirk's love of respectful dialogue, open debate and free speech, check out this three-minute clip from a discussion he had with a college freshman in 2024.