On Wednesday, September 10, a senseless political tragedy unfolded. Conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was pronounced dead after being shot at a campus tour event at Utah Valley University. Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to a crowd of over 3,000 students at an outdoor campus event. Immediately, he was taken to a local hospital and was eventually pronounced dead. Within hours of his passing, political leaders condemned the attacks, and many across social media expressed an outpouring of grief over the loss. Some communities have already begun organizing prayer vigils in Kirk’s memory. Kirk left behind a wife and two young children.
While there isn’t much information available about the recent attack, many people are wondering what comes next. For too long, small differences have divided our people to the point where violence has become a perceived solution. However, violence is never the answer, regardless of the circumstances.
This act is only the most recent example of senseless violence that has struck our nation. The same day as Charlie Kirk’s death, a shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado resulted in the injury of three students. The suspect was taken into custody, but the damage was already done. Students shouldn’t have to worry about whether they’re safe or not at school. Parents should be able to send their kids to school to learn about math and science, not how to protect themselves against violence.
Additionally, just a few weeks ago, on August 22, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was sitting in a seat when the attacker ran up and stabbed her multiple times. Just 23 years old, Zarutska had fled to the U.S after Russia began its attack on Ukraine. She came here seeking safety from a war-torn nation, yet she was murdered in the very country that she should have been safe in.
America is suffering, and there is a growing desperation to heal a nation troubled by hate and division. This ongoing rift constantly hinders our nation’s progress and distracts us from the reality that unity is essential for our nation to succeed. Our path to peace lies in setting aside political differences and embracing the ideals upon which our nation was founded: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Many have been led to believe that unity is no longer attainable. Yet even in the midst of tragedy and hardship, we must persevere and come together, united as one nation. A simple but powerful message: America needs unity. When any glimmer of hope feels lost, look to the promise that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
For those who still believe our nation is too fractured to be united, author and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow provides evidence of the power of perseverance. After the tragic loss of his wife and son, Longfellow wrote, “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.”
We must learn to put our differences aside and stand united as one nation. Our nation is far from perfect, but we must always remember the dreams of the generations before us, who strived to make a life for themselves and build a better future for their children. The challenges humanity faces ultimately strengthen our bonds of unity. We are all people, and regardless of our beliefs, backgrounds, and circumstances, our hearts beat as one: one nation, one people, one common goal. As the late former president John F. Kennedy once said, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame of the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future”.
