Lively Letters: Charlie Kirk, you understood the assignment

Doug Lively

Date: September 15, 2025

How can an article this week not touch on the dead elephant in the room?

No disrespect meant by the dead elephant reference, but Charlie Kirk was the equivalent of an elephant in the magnitude he had on the social and political landscape. And as an elephant walks slowly and deliberately to pull ropes that hoist the incredibly heavy canvas of the tent of a big top, Charlie spread logic, reason, and his belief in Jesus Christ. Time and time again he sat under his own tent, on a nondescript stool, taking on question and situation one after another from person after person.

His mantra was “prove me wrong.” His organization was Turning Point. He would ask tough questions of the liberal and the woke, and would ask and answer with calm respect for the person at the microphone.

He was in my list of favorites on YouTube, along with Victor David Hanson, Pay Gray, and maybe strangely Jesse Lee Peterson when I needed absurdity illustrated. If I could understand Ben Shapiro and he could slow his speech, he would be on that list.

It is obvious he was intelligent, But I propose he was at a level of intelligence rarely seen. The width and breadth of his answers were impressive, but when watching him, in a peculiar curiosity, I watched as he drank water, his eyes darted left and right into the crowd all while taking in every facet of what the person in front of him was saying. I would watch mesmerized at the ease with which he operated. 

The best that can be said about a man, I believe, is he was a good husband, a good father, a Christian and he spoke the truth. Charlie checked all of those boxes.

There is no profit for me to rant and rave about the hatred that motivates someone to slaughter a person the way they did Charlie, in front of his wife and children. Make no mistake, I am enraged. I choose not to show that side, the flesh, the dark and the anger I feel.

I initially wanted to quote all of the Democrat’s calls for violence in this article while they currently call for calm and no violence. Then I realized Maxine Waters, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Ilan Omar, AOC, and others whose names escape me now are all on YouTube for all to see promoting violence. No need to take my word as the old school marm used to say “Do your own homework.”

Unlike the Revolutionary War when the Redcoats were identifiable, our enemy is an enemy within. They dress as we do, they walk among us, they sit in the chair behind us on the subway or bus. They scale walls to rooftops and carve messages on their cartridges. We don’t fight against people in flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Going forward, I will continue to be vigilant with situational awareness with my head on a swivel to protect me and mine. The gauntlet has long been thrown down, but like recent wars the enemy is disguised.

We each must resolve to be the Charlie Kirk in our realm of influence. I just heard Congressman Jim Jordan say Charlie Kirk was the Rush Limbaugh of this generation. Someone asked Rush Limbaugh once what they could do to help change the current trajectory towards liberalism. Rush, in his wisdom, advised they be the one that family and friends come to sort out the confusion, to understand the craziness being spun by mainstream media, the lies from Democrats and to be given the truth. He advised the caller to study, know the truth and the history. That’s what Rush did, what Charlie did and what I have tried to do.

In Acts Chapter 5 the discussion amongst the elite of the Jews was about what to do with this guy named Jesus. Do we beat him, flog him, or crucify him. On the value of killing Jesus. Gamaliel who was described as a Jew amongst Jews, who taught Saul (later the Apostle Paul), replied: “38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone (the disciples)! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.

Charlie Kirk was no Jesus, but I believe his message will spread even more after his death, even more so due to the method of his death.

While I am a combination of angry, sad, discouraged and dejected, I am yet compelled to action. I know not I must turn to God’s Word.

I read the Book and know how the story ends, I just don’t understand the timeline.

I will continue to cling to my faith, trust God, and pray for our nation. I will not go gentle into that good night. I will rage, rage against the dying of the light.

May God deal with Tyler Robinson according to his deed.

As for Charlie Kirk, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

What to Read Next

The Author

A product of Richmond County and lifelong Augustan, Doug Lively appreciates the value of the written word and how it marks thoughts, ideas, history and opinion for posterity. Words matter. The spoken word can be laced with inflection and expression to nuance meaning but the written word requires work to precisely relay a thought, idea or opinion. It is an art in danger of extinction.

Comment Policy

The Augusta Press encourages and welcomes reader comments; however, we request this be done in a respectful manner, and we retain the discretion to determine which comments violate our comment policy. We also reserve the right to hide, remove and/or not allow your comments to be posted.

The types of comments not allowed on our site include:

  • Threats of harm or violence
  • Profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity, including images of or links to such material
  • Racist comments
  • Victim shaming and/or blaming
  • Name calling and/or personal attacks;
  • Comments whose main purpose are to sell a product or promote commercial websites or services;
  • Comments that infringe on copyrights;
  • Spam comments, such as the same comment posted repeatedly on a profile.