Woke up this morning thinking about 9/11 and the death of Charlie Kirk. It's been 24 years since those attacks on America and less than 24 hours since the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Both actions were an attack on America. Now, I don't propose to say that they are equal in scope, that the death of Charlie Kirk touches the soul of America as deeply as 9/11, you can't quantify evil, only try to cope with that. I feel sorrow for Charlie Kirk's family and especially those young children that have lost their daddy. I'm certain they just don't understand why? I don't understand why. It is really because of his opinion, what he believed and supported? Sadly, I think that may be the case.
There isn't much I can write about 9/11 that hasn't already been written many times by far more talented writers than myself. I don't even think of myself as a writer, I'm just someone writing down his thoughts. It's been twenty four years and across America there will be solemn ceremonies to remember the lives lost on that day. That is as it should be. I'm pleased to see that it hasn't yet evolved into some sort of "celebration" as often happens with these things. Consider memorial day. Originally that was decoration day, a day to go to the cemeteries and graveyards across America and tend the graves of the fallen. A day to remember, reflect and honor those lost. Today, it's a three day weekend. Twenty four years from today no one will be remembering Charlie Kirk, no one except his family.
I don't say that in any way meant to diminish his life. I say it out of respect and mourning. His life is equally as important as everyone else's life. My only hope is that his death will serve some purpose, inspire some change, in a positive fashion. I read where he had 85 million followers on TikTok or whatever social platform it is now called. I had seem him on Facebook, even listened to him a few times. I didn't have any strong feelings regarding him one way or another. I was aware he was a conservative man and supported conservative values.
I have never been much of a follower, of anyone. I don't have a favorite player, singer, author or activist. I'm just not one to get caught up in things. I hope they catch the person that did this and that the person pays the price. And I think it should be just a single blanket statement. The killer of Charlie Kirk has been given due process and is being punished to the full extent of the law. I don't want to see this person, I don't want to even hear his name. No publicity, no 15 minutes of fame for you! You don't get to write any books, make any appeals for mercy. All I want to know is that you have been removed from society!
We all want to live in peace. We all want the security of the crowd. There is strength in numbers. That is the foundational purpose of government, to provide that security, that safety to its' citizens. Laws are established to maintain order, establish justice and provide protections. The path to peace is littered with destruction, bitterness and hate. In order to live in peace, we must learn tolerance. You can not impose acceptance upon others, that isn't how that works. What we tolerate today, will be accepted at some point in the future. We must not tolerate violence as the solution. It may indeed become the means, but it is never the solution.
Peace is a personal thing. Each of us enjoy it in a different measure. A national peace? Is that the dream we so often hear about? The dream being pursued by everyone? An international peace, planetary peace. The dream of humanity. It's a good dream. I'm not saying it is my dream, that I share such empathy for the world. I'm no different than the majority, I just want to live my life in peace. In what I can only see as the ultimate irony, I offer this axiom: "personal peace is obtained not by what you remember, but by what you are willing to forget." The irony in that being, we should never forget. Guess that is why we say, rest in peace.
RIP Charlie Kirk
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