As we solemnly mark the one year anniversary of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, there are many things to recall about what he believed and the impact he had on not just the youngest generation of Americans but all generations of Americans.
Charlie always led by example by meeting young people where they were. He didn’t just debate; he listened. Utilizing hard facts in combination with logic, reasoning, and patience, almost nobody could refute his arguments, and many even left his events with changed minds. Furthermore, as his debates were disseminated across social media and reached countless millions more people, he quickly became the most prominent conservative voice in America, excluding Donald Trump.
Charlie went into the lion’s den of liberal ideologies and the epicenter of woke indoctrination to prove two things: Conservatives should be welcome on the college campus, in order to stay true to the fact that higher education serves as the marketplace of ideas, and that it’s not a lost cause to attempt to change the minds of those with whom we ideologically disagree.
Most notably, Charlie shared that he wanted to be remembered for the courage of his faith. He never backed down on the idea that America is a nation built under God first and foremost.
Unfortunately, Charlie’s time was cut short at just 31 years old by a radicalized gunman who sought an expedient solution to silence him rather than engaging civically and peacefully through dialogue.
Sept. 10, 2025, is a day that many will never forget, myself included. While this happened just one day before the commemoration of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, one can’t help but compare it to the larger context of the spiritual battle we have been facing for many years now.
It became painfully clear that a majority of the left has no respect for human dignity or the rule of law. They celebrated as an innocent husband and father of two beautiful children was murdered in front of thousands of students just for wanting to keep the conversation going. This should have been a wake-up call for everyone who wasn’t already aware just how polarized our society has become.
Despite the tragedy, the world grieved and moved on. Charlie’s legacy is twofold: the movement he inspired in the people, which compounded many times over after his passing, and his company, Turning Point. In the last year alone, tens of thousands of new students have gotten involved in the movement through creating clubs at their respective high schools and colleges with the purpose of collaborating to empower their generation to organize and lead.
It’s indisputable that Charlie Kirk constructed the winning blueprint on how to educate, empower, and mobilize young conservatives on a national scale. He recognized that whoever wins the youth can achieve victory nationwide. This is what made him a visionary.
Brady Penfield is the Badger Field Rep in Wisconsin for Turning Point Action, the 501(c)(4) organization that Charlie Kirk founded.
Brady Penfield
Brady Penfield is the Badger Field Rep in Wisconsin for Turning Point Action, the 501(c)(4) organization that Charlie Kirk founded.
