Right-wing political activist and media personality, Charlie Kirk’s assassination has caused divided opinions on whether or not the flag should have been at half-staff.
Who Was Charlie Kirk?
According to Wikipedia, Charles James Kirk was born on Oct 14, 1993 within Arlington Heights, Illinois. His parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk were Republicans and he was a part of the Presbyterian Church. Kirk found interest in politics during middle school and was a part of the Boy Scouts of America. Another small fact about Charlie Kirk was he never got a college degree and ended his education at high school.
He went on to write many books, start a podcast called The Charlie Kirk Show, and debated at college campuses. Within these materials, he discussed his political and religious beliefs. He also became part of President Trump’s campaign and his appearance within the media generally benefited it. However, Kirk’s views were far right on the political spectrum, which caused him to become quite controversial.
Kirk’s Assassination
According to Britannica, on the morning of Sep 10, Kirk was at Utah Valley University in Orem, Virginia. He was in attendance at a Turning Point USA debate answering a question about gun violence. When Kirk finished, somebody fired a gunshot. Tragically, Kirk’s life ended from the bullet hitting him in the neck. Many Americans were in a state of distress and quickly started holding memorials in Kirk’s honor. Although, many people also went on to wrongfully celebrate his death because of their conflicting beliefs.
The Aftermath
President Trump released a statement that all flags should fly at half-staff from Sept 10 till sunset on Sept 14. President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Kirk on Sept 11. Erika Kirk, his wife received the award on his behalf since he had passed away. On Sept 12, Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old man from Utah was identified as Kirk’s killer.
The Public’s Opinions
However, people have started to question if Charlie Kirk’s assassination was a valid reason to fly the flag at half-staff. Liliana Bogdanovic, a freshman from Colonia High School, believed Kirk’s death was a completely rational reason for the flag to have been flown at half-staff. “It was a sign of respect, and just because a good amount of people were not mourning him, a lot of people were. I think President Trump making a statement about leaving the flag at half-staff across the country shows a lot of respect to Charlie Kirk and his supporters. Respect is just a huge deal for me, like just because you don’t believe in his ideals doesn’t mean you can make fun of him, his family, and others that are mourning,” said Bogdanovic.
On the other hand, another freshman from Colonia High School, Calista Luis, had a completely different opinion. She believed that Kirk should not have had the flag flown at half at all. Luis stated “To get this kind of commemoration, I believe you should be a war hero, an American hero, somebody who fights to give Americans the rights they deserve. Charlie Kirk was a podcaster, he never did anything major within the United States government but was rather a social media personality.”
