Charlie Kirk was taken from us while doing what defined his life: speaking openly, engaging in dialogue, and trusting in the power of persuasion over violence. His murder reverberated around the entire country, but it shook Orem to its core. Charlie Kirk was a husband, a father, a friend, and a man who believed that freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas were sacred to the American experiment.
I never had the honor of meeting Charlie personally. Yet I cannot ignore how many lives he touched, here in Utah and across the nation. I have spoken with residents who heard him at Utah Valley University, students who followed his work, and families who admired the strength of his convictions. Even for those of us who only knew him by reputation or just watched his videos online; his passion and presence left an unmistakable mark.
Charlie built his life around the conviction that words are stronger than weapons. From a young age, he chose to dedicate himself to the work of persuasion. He founded an organization called Turning Point USA that grew into one of the largest student movements in the country. He traveled to hundreds of campuses, large and small, because he believed that the future of America would be decided by how young people understood freedom and responsibility. He could have chosen to speak only to friendly
audiences, but that was not his way. Charlie stood before crowds that often disagreed with him, and he welcomed the challenge. He trusted that truth, presented clearly and courageously, would always speak louder than intimidation. That courage was not bluster. It was rooted in his faith, in his belief in the American founding, and in his love for his family.
Charlie often spoke about his wife Erika and their two children. For all his public work, he never let anyone doubt that his most important role was at home as a husband and father. Those who knew him best will tell you that
his energy, his drive, and his sense of mission were all shaped by the love he carried for his family and his country.
What made Charlie so distinctive in our public life was not just his ideas but his willingness to live them out. He believed in civil discourse at a time when our culture often dismisses it. He sat down with opponents and critics, not because he expected to convert them in a single conversation, but because he believed that listening and responding with respect was itself a form of victory. He understood that freedom means little if we refuse to engage with those who see the world differently.
That is why his loss is so painful. What happened in Orem was more than the murder of one man. It was an attack on the freedoms that sustain us as Americans: the right to speak, the right to assemble, and the right to disagree peacefully without fear.
Charlie embodied those freedoms. He demonstrated that a free people must rely on words and ideas, never on violence or threats. His death is a reminder that liberty is always fragile, always in need of defense, and always worth the courage it demands.
As mayor of Orem, I carry the sobering responsibility of presiding over the city where Charlie’s life was tragically cut short. For days after the attack, we worked around the clock with law enforcement, with Mayors throughout the valley, and with federal officials. Many of us slept no more than three hours a night, driven by the urgency to see justice done and to bring peace to a grieving community.
The responsibility has weighed heavily on me, but it is nothing compared to the weight carried by Charlie’s wife, his children, and his family. If our sleepless nights helped bring his killer to justice, then every ounce of that effort was worth it.
Orem is Family City USA. We are a place of faith, resilience, and unity. We are more familiar with parades and festivals, with concerts and Friday night football, than with national headlines of violence. To have Charlie’s life end here cut us deeply, precisely because it felt so out of place in a city like ours.
And yet, perhaps it is fitting that his life and his example are now linked to a community that defines itself by family. For all his public work, Charlie was most proud of being a husband and a father.
The best way we can honor his memory is to carry forward the values he lived by. Let us teach our children that disagreement is not a cause for hatred but an opportunity to learn. Let us show them that persuasion is stronger than intimidation, that respect is stronger than contempt, and that life itself is sacred. Let us model in our own lives the courage to speak with conviction and the humility to listen with grace.
Charlie Kirk lived boldly, and he died as he lived, engaging the next generation in dialogue. His example will not fade. If we choose to follow it, his influence will continue to shape families, communities, and this nation for years to come.
May God bless Charlie’s family, may He bless the people of Orem, and may He bless the United States of America.