Opinion | Political violence in America’s fabric

Graphic by Easton Clark, Photography Editor

Over the past decade, Charlie Kirk has become one of the most influential right-wing political activists. 

Known for his ability to apprise the youth, Charlie, 31, was brutally assassinated at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Charlie toured college campuses across the United States to debate on contrary political ideologies, the very cornerstone of our democracy. Rallying young conservatives through his American Comeback Tour, he advocated for American exceptionalism and Christian values. 

At 18 years old, Charlie founded Turning Point USA, a non-profit organization that grew with a mission to disseminate the truth and spread the Christian gospel amid a new generation of leaders. His methods challenged prevailing orthodoxies and ignited a young following that resonated in strong debates. 

To me, it is evident that this tragic incident will have the outcome of catapulting his movement to extend far beyond his audience. Anyone who is willing to listen has come to realize that his message went further than politics; it shed light on a deeper purpose in biblical conviction.  

“To attack the man who personifies honest debate, to assassinate an American in cold blood, this is a moment which will ignite something big in people’s hearts,” said the Chapman Republicans and College Republicans of America (CRA) in a statement to The Panther. 

The results of this tragedy raise the question of how well our First Amendment right to freedom of speech is being protected. Historically, college campuses are a place where the youth have a free exchange of ideas without the fear of being killed for voicing an opinion. 

But in recent years, there has been a tragic string of mass shootings at learning institutions ranging from grade school to universities, with a motive derived from the political violence promoted by the very leaders who reprimand it.  

Ignoring violence because it’s politically uncomfortable is itself a moral failure. For years, progressive policies have prioritized the emotions of solving the problem without first treating the symptom, which is mental health. 

Let’s take a look at the patterns. In the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC’s research found that rates of anxiety and depression disorders skyrocketed by 25%. Additionally, in studies conducted by the National Library of Medicine, a whopping 86.6% of participants were perceived to have subsequent mental health disorders. 

Nearly every school shooter leaves warning signs of escalating rage. Individuals who are mad at the world, including the suspected assassin responsible for Charlie’s death, Tyler Robinson, had engraved ammunition referencing fascism. With a system absorbed in bureaucracy and paralyzed by fear of offending, it consistently lets these signs slip through the cracks. 

Vulnerability has evidently become the opportunity of the unhinged, with universities across the U.S. having open campuses where any individual with the intention of committing violence can blend in with students without raising an eyebrow. 

This is an outcry for security deterrence on college campuses. We tolerated unsecured airports until the 9/11 tragedy, so just how much innocent bloodshed are we to withstand at the hands of radical rhetoric? 

Especially in large gathering events, there should be no room for error when it comes to security detail and the protection of both the students on campus and the public figures in attendance. 

Silencing not by debate, but by a bullet, is showing students that they may speak freely only so long as it is whispered. That is not freedom, but fear masking as tolerance. 

To preserve the very freedom of speech that makes up a college campus, it must be paired with protection. Not to stay away from debate or “cancel” speakers with varying opinions, but to give them the peace of mind in speaking freely without fearing for their lives. 

We don’t blame cars for bad drivers, nor do we condemn illegal narcotics for the overdose of millions around the nation. So there is no room for a one-dimensional blame on guns; the solution is both rigorous security protocols and intervention for those facing mental health challenges.