The Role Model Generation Z Needed — Charlie Kirk | The American Spectator

It’s difficult to remember a more gut-wrenching day in American politics than yesterday, the day campus debater Charlie Kirk was gunned down in cold blood. We’ll all be forever scarred by the footage of that day, and we’ll all remember where we were when we heard the news. But what I’ll remember most is sitting silently at my school’s library, hearing my classmates mock his death. Snide remarks and barely contained glee were the norm at my school, and judging by my social media feed, this pattern was repeated by cowards across the country. To celebrate so senselessly the political assassination of a 31-year-old father, a man who built a career fighting the culture war with words and not bullets, is a blatant case of intellectual weakness and petty resentment.

The message is clear: they’re glad Charlie’s dead so they don’t have to hear his ideas.

This type of fragility is unbecoming of strong, civilized people. Young people who looked up to Charlie Kirk should instead choose to live energetic, bold, and consequential lives like his.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Charlie Kirk is his energy and optimism. By the age of 31, he had founded Turning Point, hosted a 3-hour radio show, and written several books. All while cultivating a vibrant family life. Charlie didn’t sleep in or take days off. He didn’t put his goals off until later in life, when he had built a nest egg or raised his kids. He chased them as soon as he could. We should all be thankful that he didn’t wait, and his untimely death is a clear message: if you’re interested in politics, now is the time to dive in.

Charlie was also a man of boundless optimism, described by Ben Shapiro as “almost exhausting.” He always had a grin on his face, even when called vile names by his debate opponents or discussing difficult topics. Charlie’s life is a reminder to us all that true strength isn’t just engaging with the world; it’s doing it joyfully. Petty resentment and bitterness were what killed Charlie Kirk, but joy and optimism are our domain.

Charlie Kirk blew up online because he was incredibly bold. At a time when college campuses were even more homogeneously left-leaning, he set up his table, stared down the crowd, and said what he believed with his chest. That’s also what he died doing, and we can honor Charlie’s memory by boldly doing the same.

I understand the desire to suppress conservative beliefs. I did it for years because I was petrified of cancel culture, of losing out on a job, and of being called a “fascist” by people who don’t know the meaning of the word. But our silence emboldens people like Charlie Kirk’s assassin. It emboldens people to laughingly say “nice shot” after a father dies a bloody death before going back to discussing classwork. What good is a career, a relationship, or a friendship if you have to lie to maintain it? If you have to live in a society where political violence is normalized?

Generation Z should emulate Charlie Kirk. Don’t do it rudely or emotionally. Calm, reasoned discussion was Charlie’s way. Face any accusations of the “-isms” with dismissive laughter — those words have no power. Charlie Kirk is dead, but we can honor him by filling his place with a thousand Charlie Kirks.

Finally, Charlie Kirk lived a life of consequence. He started organizations and raised money. He swayed elections, wrote books, and debated ideas. Those of us who can write should keep writing. If you can speak, get on the air. If you can shake hands, man a table, or knock on doors, do that. There is no time like the present.

But politics isn’t for everyone. If you’re in that camp, Charlie can be your role model too. He had a family that he sacrificed for and provided for. He had dear friends and reached out to strangers with messages of goodwill. Nobody who actually knew Charlie Kirk had a bad thing to say about him. If any of us achieve a fraction of that beautiful life, then we will have lived a life of consequence as well.

One can’t help but feel we’re at a turning point. Charlie Kirk is in Heaven, but my generation has some Earthly business to attend to. Do we choose the emotion-driven, sniveling relativism that killed Charlie Kirk? Or do we choose the principled, resolute truth-seeking that he embodied? One leads to chaos, but the other leads to civilization.

READ MORE:

Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Is a Turning Point for the USA

Charlie Kirk: 1993–2025

Charlie Kirk and My Friend From Boy Scouts

Ethan Watson is a Young Voices contributor and O’Connor Fellow at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. He also holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Kansas. His commentary has appeared in USA TODAY, RealClearPolitics, and The Daily Caller. He has appeared on the David Webb Show and is a regular guest on Point of View Radio. Follow him on X: @erwatson13.