The assassination of Charlie Kirk is a testament to the moral decline and the lack of civility in our society.

While there are many people dishonestly clipping comments he made to make him appear more belligerent, the reality is that Charlie tried to engage in open conversation. Certainly he was gifted with rhetorical ability and had an opinion, but he let others speak complete thoughts and typically responded with questions to further engage others before detailing his own stance – he listened before speaking.

Disagreement isn’t wrong. It’s an opportunity to be introspective and engage. “Seek first to understand then to be understood.”

Disagreement with words is not license for physical violence.

This is the heart of civil discourse. We can passionately disagree yet remain civil. Speaking boldly is not uncivil. It may be difficult to hear someone who can eloquently argue a position with which you disagree, but the discomfort should make you self-analyze before lashing out with more words.

That is not how the modern world is, rather, it is dominated by a cacophony of screaming voices. Some of the voices are rational, but they are few and far between.

As a rule, Charlie Kirk was respectful even though he was often treated with disrespect. People tried to shut down his events to silence him rather than engage in the exciting arena of ideas. Could it be that the competing ideas were weak? Possibly. Or perhaps the people were not willing to do the work to back their ideas, preferring platitudes to well-considered arguments.

At the foundation, Charlie Kirk promoted independence, family, community, and being accountable for your own actions. How does any of this promote hate or division?

Perhaps when we hear “hateful” and “divisive” coming from the mouths of online commentators, the reality behind the scenes may be that they heard an argument that made them uncomfortable and, instead of stepping back, taking a breath, and being introspective, they lashed out with bumper sticker slogans.

Be cautious with what opinions you accept too quickly.

Be cautious when opinions make you angry too quickly.

Take responsibility for your own emotions and recognize that strong reactions may indicate something missing in your own beliefs. Before reacting, pause, consider, take a breath, and engage in conversations. And remember that asking questions is more powerful than making statements.

And also…be cautious when you don’t care. Apathy isn’t a virtue, either.

You might be wondering, “Why does TWD care?” 

Although This We defend is not a political organization, we stand for the ideals of open dialogue that Charlie Kirk espoused. At our core, we are seeking to impact our culture through a combination of economic development through small businesses, improved educational opportunities, and community improvement by strengthening families – all with a foundation of faith.

There are many entrenched interests who maintain power and profit from stifling small businesses, maintaining a mediocre educational system, and tearing apart families while eliminating faith from the conversation.

We prefer a civil debate with them.

Wouldn’t you?

We promise to continue promoting the values and ideals that are the crucial foundations of Liberty and comprise the real American Dream. We’ll do it through practical actions and engaging in civil discourse whenever needed so that we, along with you, can make a lasting difference.

Tags:

#ThisWeDefend

#ValloBusinessAccelerator

#MakeADifference

#CharlieKirk

#Liberty

#Civility

#CivilDiscourse

#Debate

#Community

#Family