Across this great nation, millions of parents are trying to help their sons navigate the profound sadness and grief over Charlie Kirk’s murder. Many of these parents barely knew who Charlie was, but their sons loved him.
Many of America’s youth looked up to Charlie and yearned for his messaging about God, family, country, conservatism and truth.
To paint a picture of how connected countless boys felt to Charlie, at one school, they wore coats and ties to school to honor him. Others have taken to social media to express their gratitude for his leadership and to publicly declare that they will not be silenced. They are promising to carry on his legacy.
As a father and someone who spent 25 years coaching and teaching, I myself cannot think of a better role model for young males than Charlie. He was a man of wisdom and integrity far beyond his years.
His passion for the youth and genuine desire to see them grow into successful, God-fearing individuals were ever present in his ministry and mission. He told the truth with love and compassion — something young Americans are desperately craving.
While this current moment demands time to grieve and process, soon it will require moving forward. I want to believe Charlie would expect nothing less.
This is truly a turning point in our lifetime, and even more so for the youth. As a society, the path we choose to walk down next is important. Once the fog of pain and sorrow subsides, young males are going to seek out new sources of information and guidance. It is crucial that someone with the values of Charlie fills that vacuum.
It falls upon us to pick up that torch and lead young men, for posterity. We do this by preparing the child for the road, not the road for the child.
First and foremost, family and faith in God need to be centered. Even though it is difficult at times, genuine happiness comes from the responsibility of raising a family and leading them in worship. Also, there needs to be a high value on integrity and trustworthiness. A young man of integrity builds a strong family, and strong families are vital to a high-trust, thriving society.
Charlie was a committed family man and a person of deep integrity. Anecdotes aplenty, there was no doubt he was a man of conviction, and meant what he said and said what he meant. He never wavered from his core beliefs.
Additionally, young males need to be taught to value courage, for without it, one will not pursue the Truth. Charlie, speaking to a 13-year-old girl, defined courage as “doing the right thing when you don’t know how it’s going to work out.” He called for committing oneself to the correct course of action “regardless of the cost associated with it.”
He was the epitome of courage.
Even though courage necessitates sacrifice, which includes tradeoffs and “costs associated with it,” Charlie understood this. In the end, he made the ultimate sacrifice for his faith, family, and his convictions. There is no higher calling.
Charlie planted tons of good seeds that he will never see mature. Good seeds grow into good trees, which produce good fruit. It is now incumbent upon us to water and nurture those seeds to help them grow. We need to model the virtues and values he stood and died for — that civil discourse, not violence, is the answer to solving problems. And that centering God, building a strong family, and seeking out the Truth require courage and sacrifice.
We need to carry on with a renewed resolve to make today better than yesterday for our families, for the nation, and for young males. We grieve for the Kirk family, for the Turning Point USA family, for America, and for the pain our young men are going through.
Charlie’s legacy will live on.
I am Charlie Kirk.
We are all Charlie Kirk now.
Rhyen Staley is the Director of Research for Defending Education. He holds a master’s degree in elementary education and has over a decade of classroom experience in both public and private schools. He has over 25 years of volleyball coaching experience from Women’s Division I down to junior high.
