Today was my first day back at work from a nice vacation trip. As I was conversing with coworkers at lunch someone came in and shared the news of the assassination of Charlie Kirk as he was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, which is less than a mile from Smarty HQ, where we were all conversing.
This hits close to home. Several of my coworkers have family members at UVU. I have siblings that received degrees there. I consider Orem, UT my hometown. It's where I went to school from Kindergarten all the way through high school. I no longer live in Orem, but I still work there, and being less than a mile from an active shooting event is, frankly, new territory for me (I'm very aware that I've lived a sheltered, very blessed life).
I've since learned of several acquaintences who were at the rally or in even closer proximity to the events that unfolded. Everyone in the community has been affected, and it's been a major story in national news coverage this week.
Regardless of whether you agree with someone's views about politics, religion, or any other important topic, trying to settle the issue via assassination is wrong--wow, what an understatement--it's unhinged and horrific.
Whether you subscribe Mr. Kirk's values and views is irrelevant. No one should ever fear violence, harm, or retribution for engaging in civil conversation and debate in The United States of America, which was founded on ideas such as freedom of speech and the right to peacably assemble.