The assassination of Charlie Kirk at the age of 31 by a radicalized young leftist on a college campus Wednesday will long be remembered as one of the most-tragic days in American history. His slaying, for expressing his mainstream conservative political positions, was a deep blow to our shared American dream. It was an act of cruelty and horror which affected people around the world.
The Heartland Institute helped Charlie, in the ways we could, when he was just starting to build TurningPoint USA into what quickly became the most-influential and successful organization in American history at promoting the virtues of free-market capitalism and individual liberty to young people. At Heartland’s benefit dinner in October 2015, Charlie asked to address Heartland’s supporters and we happily agreed to give him the stage. Below are his remarks that night.
In 2017, Charlie and his friend and TPUSA co-founder Brent Hamachek gave a presentation on their book “Time for a Turning Point” at Heartland’s Andrew Breitbart Freedom Center. You can watch that presentation below, and read about it in this post.
The murder of Charlie Kirk leaves a beautiful wife without a husband, and two young children who will grow up not remembering their father’s warm embrace. It also leaves a hole in the heart of those who knew him well and loved him, a hole that may never heal. Charlie’s murder has hit many of us here at The Heartland Institute very hard. But his memory, his courage, and his determination to work tirelessly for a better and greater America will never cease to inspire us.
We spoke about Charlie for the entirety of our In the Tank Podcast live-stream the day after Charlie was killed. And we also opened that week’s The Climate Realism Show speaking about Charlie. You can watch them below.
God Bless, Charlie Kirk, his family, and all who were touched by his life and his work.
Jim Lakely is the Vice President and Director of Communications of The Heartland Institute.
