On Thursday, while the manhunt for Charlie Kirk's killer was still ongoing, Charlie was being remembered across the country. One of those remembrances came in the form of a eulogy from the organization he founded, from the people in that organization he worked with, Turning Point USA (TPUSA). This was posted on the organization's official X account as well as its webpage.
The website post can be seen here.
The statement begins:
Every one of us at Turning Point USA is crushed and devastated by the hateful murder of our founder and guiding light, Charlie Kirk. All of us have lost a leader, a mentor, and a friend. Above all, our hearts are with Erika and their two children. Charlie was the ideal husband and the perfect father. Above all else, we ask you to pray for the Kirks after the incomprehensible loss they have suffered.
Charlie's family, we should note, are every bit as much the victims of this horrifying act as Charlie; perhaps more so, as they are left to carry on without him.
TPUSA went on to describe how Charlie Kirk went about his own distinctive style of activism:
More than anyone, Charlie believed in the power of argument and good-faith debate to find the truth and guide people towards, if not agreement, then at least mutual understanding. Charlie was no stranger to threats. He received thousands throughout his life. But he has always prioritized reaching as many young Americans as possible over his own personal safety. Now, Charlie has become America's greatest martyr to the freedom of speech he so adored.
That last part is key. Charlie was a campaigner for, as much as anything, freedom of speech. Nobody should understand that better than the people he worked with.
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These are the people, of course, who knew Charlie Kirk best, other than - perhaps - his family. People don't join organizations like Turning Point unless they believe in its mission, and that mission was set by Charlie Kirk. This memorial is from the people who believed in Charlie, in what he stood for, and in what he was trying to accomplish. We can only hope that someone among them will rise to take a leadership role. Charlie cannot be replaced, but he must be succeeded. The things he stood for: Free speech, open, respectful, honest debate - are all worth fighting for.
It seems clear, from this, that TPUSA and the people who work within and with it are determined to see that the mission doesn't die with Charlie. If it did, well, then the assassin would have succeeded in what he/she set out to do: Silencing Charlie Kirk. That can't be allowed to happen. Ensuring it doesn't happen, this is what TPUSA has to do now.
TPUSA concludes:
Although Charlie is gone, his legacy will endure. He shall not grow old; age shall not weary him. For all time, he will remain the brave young man who inspired tens of millions of Americans to better themselves and take action to better America. All of us will miss Charlie. None of us will ever forget him.
In that, I think, TPUSA speaks for all of us.