Posted on Friday, September 12, 2025
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by Shane Harris
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In the hours following the horrific killing of 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, several of his old tweets began circulating on X. One in particular from June of this year is worth meditating on as the country grapples with this tragedy, how we got to this point, and where we go from here.
“When things are moving very fast and people are losing their minds, it’s important to stay grounded,” Kirk wrote on June 17. “Turn off your phone, read scripture, spend time with friends, and remember internet fury is not real life. It’s going to be ok.”
The context of the post was unclear at the time, but it seems especially prescient now – it’s as if he somehow knew that we would need his ever-reasonable voice even after he was gone. Every decent American should demand justice for Kirk’s death and call out the incessant liberal fearmongering nudging the most fringe elements of the left toward acts of violence like this. But as Charlie wisely advises, the best way to accomplish those goals is to stay grounded and to refuse to succumb to the same maddening echo-chamber mentality that most certainly led to this tragedy.
In the hours after Kirk’s death was announced, many leading Democrats did the right thing by offering prayers for his family and condemning political violence. But among the progressive activist class and on some cable news networks, we saw a far more disturbing and repulsive reaction that only re-affirmed the wisdom of Kirk’s words.
Moments after Kirk was shot, MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd appallingly suggested that it could have been “a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration” before explicitly blaming Kirk for his own death. (The network has since cut ties with Dowd.) The X account Libs of TikTok then shared a montage of leftists celebrating the assassination. Another collection of screenshots from the left-wing X alternative BlueSky shows dozens of users saying they are glad Kirk is dead and calling for other high-profile conservatives to be “next.”
These are individuals who are utterly morally bankrupt. But while they should be condemned, if we’re to stop the escalating trend of left-wing political violence, it is critical that we ask how so many people can become so consumed by hate for someone who simply debated people on college campuses.
The education system, Hollywood, mainstream media, and even some elected Democrat politicians are all part of that answer. But as Kirk alludes to, the problem is even deeper than that.
We live in a world today that is increasingly divorced of the things that have always kept human beings grounded and sane. Our society has abandoned religion, which provides context for our place in the universe. We have abandoned family, which provides purpose and helps remedy our naturally selfish desires. And we have abandoned community, instead turning to online echo chambers that re-affirm our worst thoughts and impulses instead of challenging them.
Volumes can and should be written on the myriad causes for these developments. But the question now before us is what to do about it. What will our act of rebellion against this culture of hate and violence be? Again, I think Kirk’s wise words give us the answer.
Charlie Kirk was so impactful precisely because he was willing to go into the proverbial lion’s den and stare this evil in the face. But he did not do this for personal satisfaction or to generate clicks – although he did generate plenty of clicks. He did it because he was driven by a deep-seated desire to change hearts and minds, and because he believed that honest and open debate could exercise the demons like those now driving many on the left to celebrate his death.
Kirk built his brand and career through provoking controversy and passionate discussion, but he also reminds us that ideological debate and political disagreement are not the end-all-be-all of human existence. As heartbreaking videos of him with his wife and two young children clearly show, his greatest joy was being a husband and a father.
What made Kirk’s activism so powerful is that he understood that the entire point of engaging in political debate is not to “own the libs” or even to win elections. Those goals are merely stops on the road to the ultimate prize, which is creating a culture that promotes strong families, strong faith, strong communities, and human flourishing.
In this light, one of the best things we can do to carry on his legacy, and to fight back against the ideological cancer that led to his death, is to do exactly as he says. Put down the phone. Hug your kids tight. Take a walk in the park with a friend. Dust off the Bible. Pray. Those small acts of rebellion make all the difference in the world.
Nothing can bring Charlie Kirk back. But in the wake of his death, we can choose to be inspired by the example of his life, to live like he did – to make the most important things the most important things. That’s a battle worth fighting.
Shane Harris is the Editor in Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
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