“A nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.” – Abraham Lincoln
The assassination of Charlie Kirk hit the Irish Rover hard. In Kirk, we saw ourselves: young, conservative, and energetic students trying to uphold the Christian principles we hold dear, in response to the rising tide of the far left. Through his organization Turning Point USA, his social media presence, and his speaking tours, Kirk occupied the same space as the Rover: the campus quads, classrooms, and screens of Gen-Z America.
The fundamental message that Charlie Kirk promoted—one that inspires the Rover as well—was hope.
Charlie Kirk’s message reflected a supernatural view of politics—a politics involved in matters of the world, but for the purpose of truth, common good, and Christianity, not as a mere power game. His goal was to create a politics of hope. The Catechism teaches that the virtue of hope “takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude.”
Following Kirk’s assassination, prominent voices on both the right and the left have united around a system of free speech, modeled after Kirk’s own habit of conducting intense but respectful conversations with political adversaries. Such a response is honorable, especially considering the shocking number on the left who have refused to condemn the violent act, or worse, celebrated it outright.
But while respectful dialogue is a proper characteristic of a healthy culture, it is useless—and even harmful—without hope.
Without hope, a vague ‘commitment to free speech’ is meaningless: it is oblivious to the reason for free speech, and it denies objective truth in favor of ‘getting along’ and ‘agreeing to disagree.’ Without a guiding principle, all speech has the same value, from derogatory comments to religious musings. The liberal ‘marketplace of ideas’ system fails when one side rejects first principles, let alone moves toward violence. Just like real marketplaces, intellectual forums need rules and boundaries.
Charlie Kirk was not primarily a free speech advocate. He clearly supported free speech, but only in service of understanding and promoting the truth. His primary mission was not “to affirm the principle of open debate and free expression on college campuses,” as some have suggested. His mission was to direct his audience toward higher goods, namely faith, family, and flag.
A proper commitment to free speech requires hope—hope for the conversion of hearts and minds, hope for eternal life.
One of the most circulated pictures of the Kirk family in the last week was their visit to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. This picture embodies Kirk’s primary commitments. Kirk did not simply preach hope—he lived it through his faith, his wife, and his children.
“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith,” Kirk said months before his death. “The most important thing is my faith in my life.” Not content with keeping his beliefs personal, he often discussed his faith openly with others, urging them too to place God at the center of their lives. Kirk insisted on the importance of marriage, family, and commitment for young people in today’s individualistic culture. “Having children is more important than having a good career,” he declared. “My kids matter more than how many social media followers I have.”
And his effort is paying off: across America, young people—and young men, in particular—are returning to church, getting married, and having kids. In addition to promoting the truth, Kirk also courageously confronted clear opposites of this hope in faith and family—from abortion to gender ideology.
Similarly, the Rover upholds hope in faith and family by highlighting these principles on Notre Dame’s campus. We celebrated the record number of Catechumens last year; we spread the news about Ethos National, a national non-profit against pornography; and we even gave students a step-by-step guide for how to get married in the basilica. Perhaps more widely read are the Rover’s attacks against the left’s perversion of faith and family, which you can access easily enough.
Kirk’s young target audience demonstrated his hope in America’s future. In a generation beset by loneliness, despair, and isolation, he fostered selflessness, commitment, and community.
The deeper roots of Kirk’s message are apparent in the response to his death. No riots. No vandalism. No breaking into Targets and stealing TVs. Instead, prayer rallies, Rosary groups, and memorials. Rather than responding to violence with more violence, Kirk’s followers learned from his example: peaceful, open discussion guided by Christian love.
This supernatural response to evil does not preclude action, however. During his appearance on the Charlie Kirk Show, Vice President J.D. Vance called for an enforcement of social norms that have been violated by many on the left in the wake of Kirk’s death: “There is no unity with people who scream at children over their parents’ politics; there is no unity with someone who lies about what Charlie Kirk said in order to excuse his murder; there is no unity with someone who harasses an innocent family the day after the father of that family lost a dear friend; there is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” Vance declared.
He’s right, and despite the harsh rhetoric, Vance’s message, like Kirk’s (and like the Rover’s), is one of hope for a united America. Why? Because the commitment to free speech is subordinate to higher principles—respect, human dignity, and objective truth.
On the right, some are hedonistic (think Andrew Tate), fatalistic (“burn it all”), or utopian (“Benedict option,” leave society). All of these reactions to our nation’s problems lack hope.
On the left, many have forgotten God. Where is the hope for a better America in social media posts celebrating the death of a young father? Where is the unity found in the videos saying a man “deserved to die” for his work? The individuals making these statements are not interested in real unity but in coercing the nation into the conclusions of secular liberalism.
If he had come to Notre Dame, the Rover might have disagreed with Charlie Kirk on some things. But more than alignment on specific policy issues, Charlie Kirk’s fundamental message is ours: The nation is not lost, and hope is the answer. Charlie Kirk, Rest in Peace.
Michael Canady is a senior from Falls Church, Virginia. He can be reached at mcanady2@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Image by the Irish Rover
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