Charlie Kirk

from Ed Case Newsletter, Sept 16, 2025 (excerpt)

The premeditated murder of Charlie Kirk is about more than the senseless loss of a husband, father, friend and fellow citizen. It is about whether democracy as we’ve dreamed and largely known it can still work.

While we don’t know the full why, all indications are that Charlie Kirk was killed because he was exercising his rights to free belief and free speech. What he believed and said and how he was killed is not the issue. The issue is that the response to his beliefs and speech was violence.

Politically-motivated violence is not new to our country. Why is this one different?

Because it forces us all to face the stark reality that too much division and polarization and anger in our society matter. That how we express our beliefs and views matter. That it matters whether we treat our fellow citizens with whom we may disagree as enemies or as a national ‘ohana.

Like freedom, democracy is not free. It won’t just be there forever automatically, regardless of what we as fellow citizens say and do.

Democracy like freedom requires commitment and sacrifice for the common good, for today and the next generations. That means treating fellow citizens as one of our own, listening to views, considering different beliefs, and disagreeing with respect and consideration, not anger and violence. That is very hard today, but it’s the only way forward.

Charlie Kirk’s tragic death is unfortunately being twisted by some to match their own agendas. But all that really matters is that a fellow citizen was killed for expressing himself. That cannot be accepted, and we are all responsible not only for rejecting it, but for doing our part in our own speech and conduct to listen to views, consider different beliefs, and agree or disagree with respect and consideration.

I pledge that, as your U.S. Representative, directly representing over 720,000 fellow citizens from all walks of life with all different backgrounds, circumstances and beliefs, I will continue to try as hard as I can to do my part….

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