“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.” – Isaiah 5:20

On September 17, America celebrated its 238th Constitution Day—the day the framers of the Constitution signed the document destined to become “the supreme law of the land.” Today, September 22, we honor the 249th anniversary of the death of the young American hero Nathan Hale, who gave his life for his country in the early months of the American Revolution. These anniversaries have an especially poignant connection this year in light of the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, another young American hero who, like Nathan Hale, will be an inspiration to generations of Americans to come.

From all I have seen and heard, Charlie bore the same attitude that 21-year-old Nathan Hale made famous as he faced death at the hands of his British captors and said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” America will always need its Nathan Hales and its Charlie Kirks—heroes willing to give “the last full measure of devotion” for their country’s cause. We can’t get on without them.

Though not every citizen will rise to the level of Hale or Kirk, we are equally held to high standards of citizenship, as seen in the oath of naturalization that every immigrant to the United States must take to become a citizen:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

This year especially, it is a good idea for all Americans to read this oath and to remind ourselves that native-born citizens live under the obligation of the same oath, even if we don’t explicitly take it. Each of us is pledged to all, and all are pledged to each to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States, and to bear arms on behalf of our country when needed. 

Everyone has seen the shocking spectacle of tens of thousands of people demoniacally celebrating the political murder of Charlie Kirk. These are people we had every reason to think were law-abiding citizens and trustworthy neighbors: teachers, nurses, government officials, and members of the armed services. This evil reminds us of a critical difference between Charlie Kirk and Nathan Hale. Nathan Hale was a soldier in a war. Charlie Kirk was talking on a college campus when he was assassinated. The street thugs and hit men of the murderous Left—egged on by depraved politicians and excused and justified by media monsters—have turned college campuses, churches, schools, and subways into war zones. Faced with this evil, we should carry on Charlie’s heroic, peaceful work and speak the truth with courage, goodwill, and integrity.  

But we must also, with due responsibility, and with all necessary urgency, be preparing and equipping ourselves to support the Constitution and laws of the United States and to come to the defense of our fellow citizens against the very real and increasing threats of the murderous Left. Their insistent shrieking violence is no longer marginal; it is mainstream. Just a few days ago, at a county fair in a small town in Ohio, the Democratic Party booth was displaying and giving away “8647” buttons asking, “Is he dead yet?” In this case, the County Fair Board had the courage and good sense to require the Democrats to close their booth. But that there should have even been such a booth, and that it should have taken any courage to close down, is a sign of very dark times.

The young Abraham Lincoln, seeing violence and lawlessness spreading in the America of his day, expressed memorably the civic disposition we must have: “As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor.” To honor the memories of Charlie Kirk and Nathan Hale, and to serve their noble cause, we must do all in our power to keep America worthy of their sacrifices.