Intro
When I realized Charlie Kirk was the same age as the middle of my children—four older, four younger—it suddenly became personal. I hadn’t even heard of him before, but the more I saw, the more I recognized what a rare role model he was: thoughtful, steady, and willing to learn. His life leaves us with a challenge—are we mature enough to respect differing opinions without anger or hate?
Charlie Kirk–My Thoughts
Charlie Kirk was the age of my children—right in the middle. I have four older than him and four younger. That realization stopped me cold. It wasn’t just a headline anymore; it was personal. I had never heard of Charlie before, but when I started seeing reels of him speaking, what stood out to me was not anger or arrogance, but a genuine spirit. He came across as grounded, thoughtful, and intent on lifting conversations higher instead of dragging them down.
The mark of being a mature adult is being able to accept someone else’s opinions, even when you don’t agree with them. If you know what you believe and why, then another person’s perspective should not shake you or make you lash out. Maturity means you can listen, think, and even disagree without feeling the need to silence someone else. If you feel compelled to harm another person simply because they don’t think the way you do, that doesn’t show strength—it shows a lack of maturity.
Charlie modeled the opposite. He studied. He read. He debated. But he didn’t do it just to win; he did it to improve himself and to understand others more deeply. His debates revealed a mind hungry for truth and a heart willing to do the hard work of learning. That’s rare. Too often, we confuse volume for conviction. Charlie’s life showed us that conviction can be held firmly without cruelty.
That’s what makes his loss so heavy. Why take away such a positive role model? Whether or not you agreed with every point he made, you can’t deny he offered an example of how to stand your ground without hatred. And that’s something our world desperately needs.
When I saw that some refused to stand for a moment of silence in the House for him, my heart broke. Shame on those who refused. You are no better than the crowd in the New Testament who wanted to stone the woman caught in sin—quick to condemn, unwilling to show even a moment of grace. A moment of silence costs nothing. But it means everything. It honors a life lived with courage, and it says, “We see you. We acknowledge the value you brought.”
Whichever side of the political aisle you stand on, let Charlie’s life speak to you. Let his example push you to improve yourself, to think critically, to engage respectfully. The lesson of his life is not about agreeing on every issue—it’s about being willing to learn, to listen, and to stand for what is good and right without tearing others down in the process.
If you truly want to be mature, if you want to leave the world better, then take a page from Charlie Kirk’s book. Don’t shout louder—listen better. Don’t condemn—think. Don’t hate—stand firm with kindness. That’s the kind of legacy that deserves to live on.