Sticks And Stones...But Words and Charlie Kirk
By Richard Norman Rickey
September 23, 2025
People my age remember the children’s rhyme “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. In more recent years, some children are taught the new woke version that reads “… but words may scar me for life”, and “… but words can surely hurt me”. Apparently the killer of Charlie Kirk, and those who celebrate his assassination, believe in the woke version. While the original version, dating back to the mid nineteenth century, was probably intended to encourage and build resilience to verbal assaults, the recent assassination of Kirk is the latest extreme example of just how intolerant, scared and fragile some people are to those who utter speech they don’t like. For these snowflakes, debating is not an option anymore for they believe words threaten their chosen personal identity and tribal allegiance. I’m sure social media indoctrination and brainwashing has something to do with this softening, but it is fool’s gold to think we can find a democratic compromise on the most critical political issues we face as a country when so many in our midst are no longer capable or willing to debate with civility.
Watching the Kirk memorial service at the filled to capacity 73,000 seat stadium in Arizona was both spiritual and concerning. I loved the Christian gospel message of grace and forgiveness that was sung, prayed and spoken, but I was equally dismayed by the amalgamation of political messaging intertwined into the service. Was anyone else uncomfortable with our President consoling the widow just before giving her eulogy, and then preceding her message of forgiveness by stating “I hate my opponents, and don’t want the best for them”? Kirk founded the Turning Point USA organization that had become tied to the political MAGA movement, and he was influential in getting Trump and Vance elected. The TPUSA growing budget was financially supported by powerful interest groups who aligned with President Trump and his MAGA movement. Kirk was no doubt influenced by and beholden to these donors. So while Kirk was a charismatic and highly effective Christian Apologists, I believe this was a politically motivated killing. Even if the assassin turns out to be a disgruntled TPUSA former employee, or some professional hit man, the gleeful reaction by so many to his death, just as with the recent healthcare executive murder, proves it.
We must confront the present reality. We live in a violent country, and our government is often violent, at least that is how many citizens experience it. When people hear words from people in power they know a punch to their very identity, and a devastating impact to their economic status is soon to follow from government action those words commanded. Let’s be honest with ourselves, there is no acceptable compromise for many citizens on abortion and reproductive rights, gender affirming care, binary sex distinctions, what percentage of income taxed by our government is acceptable, or what public education curriculum should be taught to one’s children. Because we can’t find an acceptable compromise through the democratic process on these, and other very personal and group identity issues anymore, then what can possibly prevent our Republic from another civil war?
Only more individual liberty, and much less government coercion, will save our Republic. Those expounding a Populist Nationalism, Christian Nationalism, or Democratic Socialism to save our republic are wrong. Each of these political movements want to use the government to implement, preserve and force others to accept policies, laws and taxes that support their way of life, and fund programs that align with their world view and group identity. This can’t work anymore. For too many, when their own chosen personal identity, economic status, or tribal allegiance is perceived to be threatened by a government action, they are no longer just peacefully protesting. Now the knives and guns are out.
I hope the Kirk assassination, and the troubling reaction to it, is a significant turning point in our collective history. Charlie Kirk wanted to debate ideas, and for young people with more conservative Christian values to have the courage to speak up. I agree with that mission, but I want to take it one step further; to encourage more young people to believe that they will be better off with a far less lethal government no matter what party, donor or executive runs it. To have the courage to reduce the size of our government, become more self-reliant, balance our federal and state budgets, get our military bases out of other countries, and leave other people alone to live as they choose, so long as they cause no physical harm to another fellow citizen’s body or property. That is how we disarm the crazies.