From Your Friend in the Shadows

This essay is written in honor of Charlie Kirk (1993-2025). May his memory be a blessing.      On September 10th 2025, Charlie Kirk, renowned conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated at Utah Valley University on one of his stops on his America Comeback Tour. Many are wondering what this bodes for America's political future, however we must consider the short-term implications before considering the long-term ones, and yes, a little bit of history.      Turning Point USA was founded sometime in 2012 by Charlie Kirk right after he graduated high school. As the organization grew, TPUSA became a variety of things to many people, especially students on campus. For some, TPUSA, especially at some campuses, was the only conservative student organization present, and often became a ‘catch-all’ short hand for any student who may have been conservative or hadn't complied with a given campus's status quo. However,...

09/14/2025      I never knew him, not personally nor professionally. However, I have been following him and his activities throughout college campuses over the years, and especially the organization that he would found, Turning Point USA. I even had the opportunity to see him, albeit from a far, being held back by protestors. For some, he was a role model, for others his name was short-hand for things they disagreed with. For some still, he was a friend, a father, and a husband. On September 10th, 2025, Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while at one of his stops on his America Comeback tour. This was an act of extremist violence. Charlie was shot merely because someone else didn’t agree with him. He was not a politician, he was merely a guy that wanted a chat, and was shot for it. My thoughts and prayers go out to Charlie Kirk’s family and the TPUSA team. Below I have drafted a prayer, if you so feel inclined, please feel free to recite it.     ...