“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.” These words headlined a Truth Social post made by President Donald Trump on September 10, 2025. The news shocked the world, leaving millions stunned.
Kirk, 31, was a conservative activist focused on involving younger generations in politics. He would travel to college campuses and debate students with opposing viewpoints, all in the name of free speech and the exchange of ideas.
Unfortunately, when at one of these events at Utah Valley University, Kirk took a bullet from a high-powered sniper rifle. He was soon pronounced dead.
With Kirk a leading figure in youth culture, many community members felt broken. He was well-liked by many students, and to them his death marks a worrisome turn in American culture.
“I respected the work that he did with Turning Point USA, I really respected the idea of open debate, and I liked the idea of having conversations with people you don’t necessarily agree with,” Sixth Former Seth Virmani said. “I tuned into the Charlie Kirk show sometimes, and I thought it was well-researched, even though I didn’t agree with everything he said.”
“Immediately after the shooting, I was kind of in shock,” Fifth Former Hugh Williams said. “I agreed with some of what he said, but not all of it. I’m pretty middle ground politically, maybe leaning a little bit towards what Charlie was saying. I was very sad and I was very shocked when I heard the news, especially since I saw that political violence had a place in this country and that someone, simply for expressing their views, was assassinated.”
Sixth Former Will Bradford feels that the nation’s fundamental rights are in jeopardy.
“The First Amendment is at risk. Personally, I had mixed feelings about Charlie. I agreed with some stuff he said, but disagreed with a whole bunch else that seemed way too extreme. But either way, I still thought he had the right to visit colleges and spread the MAGA movement, because he has freedom of speech just like the rest of us.”
Although many had positive feelings about Kirk, some strongly disagreed with what he said. These students highlight the balance between criticizing Kirk’s ideology and condemning the violence.
“Obviously, no one should be killed, and it’s a terrible thing,” Sixth Former Harrison Cross said. “ I think it’s a shame that anyone would feel compelled to kill someone just based on differences in their political views, especially when Charlie Kirk has been focused on cordial dialogue and discussion.”
Still, Cross disagrees with some of Kirk’s views.
“It’s hard to feel sorry for him when he held harmful opinions. He held opinions about gun control and border control, and those opinions are really harmful to people. Obviously, he didn’t do anything to hurt others, but having those opinions makes it hard for me to feel bad for him; however, I do feel bad for his family. He defended gun rights, and I think it’s slightly ironic that he got killed by a gun.”
“George Washington warned us this would happen in his farewell address, but we didn’t listen, and here we are facing the effects of it. If people like Charlie can be murdered for expressing a belief that relates to one political party and is opposite to another political party’s view, then this country might be on the cusp of civil war. This country is continuously being divided by our beliefs and political parties.”
Will Bradford ’26
The shooting has forced our community to examine American politics in the 21st century. For many, the increased violence is a major concern, and the lack of civil discourse directly contradicts the values on which this country was founded.
“Not just through Charlie Kirk, but through a larger culture of political violence that has emerged recently, we seem to be struggling to effectively use the power we have been given by the Constitution to engage in our national discourse,” Head of School Mr. Tyler Casertano said. “As I see it, disagreement and compromise are embedded in the American system, and civil discourse is inherent to that dynamic.”
Bradford also believes our country is not living up to the early American standard.
“George Washington warned us this would happen in his farewell address, but we didn’t listen, and here we are facing the effects of it. If people like Charlie can be murdered for expressing a belief that relates to one political party and is opposite to another political party’s view, then this country might be on the cusp of civil war. This country is continuously being divided by our beliefs and political parties.”
Cross sees political parties as a part of the problem, echoing the idea that our modern governmental structure breeds divisive ideologies.
“Ten years ago, it would have been unthinkable for anyone to consider this happening. It shows how terrible a job both parties have done at reminding people that we’re all one country, no matter what our beliefs are, and that we should look at everyone else as countrymen, brothers, and sisters.”
Virmani and Williams also agree that modern-day political polarization needs to change.
“I think this is an extremely politically divisive time in our country,” Virmani said. “I don’t want to necessarily blame the left, because I know many liberals do not support this violence: there are many who have spoken out against this. I unfortunately think it suggests that we may be heading in a direction where political violence is a more acceptable form of activism.”
“I think the shooting shows how recently we’ve become so radicalized,” Williams said. “It’s not even just the polarization, but the unacceptance of other people’s views and the inability to listen to other people without feeling hatred towards them. Many people can’t recognize the other side’s opinion.”
How will Kirk’s assassination affect daily life at school? Virmani and Mr. Casertano highlighted a few ways the school might be affected.
“I’m sure a lot of people watched the Charlie Kirk show or had similar opinions to his,” Virmani said. “Seeing this guy, who was so influential, just get gunned down is scary for some Haverford kids. They see a guy holding the same opinions as them, and then see that guy lose his life out of nowhere.”
“Anytime there is instability in the outside world, it has the capacity to create instability within a boy and the community. This is one of the reasons why, when something like this happens, we try to stand in front of you and acknowledge that some members of the community will be affected, and to reiterate our expectations to you about how to treat people and ideas.”
Head of School Mr. Tyler Casertano
“I expect students to be impacted in different ways by the larger dynamics outside of this school. Some students were absolutely impacted by what happened,” Mr. Casertano said. He then highlighted how the faculty is already responding to the situation.
“Anytime there is instability in the outside world, it has the capacity to create instability within a boy and the community. This is one of the reasons why, when something like this happens, we try to stand in front of you and acknowledge that some members of the community will be affected, and to reiterate our expectations to you about how to treat people and ideas.”
Still, Cross thinks Haverford’s position numbs the community from the outside world’s tension.
“I don’t think there’s going to be that much of an effect here,” Cross said. “I think that the kids at Haverford are well educated enough to understand that stuff like that is pretty terrible. No matter what side you’re on, people understand that they may have heated debates, but at the end of the day, it’s just a political discussion. They realize that violence is not how the country should function.”
Virmani, Williams, and Mr. Casertano believe that students shouldn’t be scared of expressing their opinions and engaging in respectful debate.
“Take every single moment you have as a gift, and use it for something positive,” Virmani said. “If you believe in the same things that Charlie Kirk did, don’t hide your opinions. You shouldn’t be scared because you have a political viewpoint.”
“Continue to speak your mind and voice your opinions, because that’s how change is made,” Williams said. “But don’t hate someone from the opposite viewpoint just because they differ in view from you. Because that’s exactly what Charlie Kirk’s murderer did. He had a viewpoint, and he hated Charlie for having the opposite one.”
“I think one of the really tragic aspects of this political violence is that it could discourage people from pursuing careers of public service,” Mr. Casertano said. “For our country to be the strongest version of itself, we need really talented, thoughtful, ambitious, and selfless people to be inspired by a career in public service. I worry that when we see people having to pay for their public service with their lives, that it dissuades [students with lots of potential] from considering a profession like that.”
Mr. Casertano also feels it is perfectly fine not to have an answer to complex political questions.
“It’s okay to be a kid and not know what to make of this. I think some of you guys have strong opinions about what happened, and then some really don’t know what to make of it all, and that’s okay. It’s okay to participate in those larger national conversations, and it’s okay to feel like you’re not ready for that.”
Additionally, Mr. Casertano touched on Haverford’s robust support systems.
“I hope that we are effective in giving you opportunities to find support, and I also hope that we are effective in creating spaces of civil discourse, honest inquiry, exploration, and mutual respect. That’s not necessarily something you see many examples of in our society at the moment, but I really hope that we can accomplish that here.”
Cross has a different viewpoint than many. He believes that a laser focus on political rhetoric is a treacherous path.
“Students really shouldn’t bring the politics behind this shooting onto Haverford’s campus because obviously it’s a place where students should be having discussions, but it’s also a place of learning. Students shouldn’t bring the fallout of this shooting onto campus because politics like that and education at Haverford don’t mix.”
Bradford harshly condemns any celebration of the assassination.
“I don’t know why some people are happy about this. Political violence has no place in our country, and it just goes to show how divided we are and to what extent that division can go. I pray for Charlie and his family, and also hope that freedom of speech is protected after this. If not, we are closer to war amongst ourselves.”
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