As our region and nation reel from the senseless violence that recently stole the life of conservative icon and free-speech advocate Charlie Kirk, there is also a sense among many that a kind of invisible line has been crossed: not only how has political violence struck America again, but how can some publicly take a ghoulish delight in the cold-blooded murder of a 31-year-old, leaving his wife a widow and his two children, ages 3 and 6, fatherless and now too young to ever hold any memories of their dad?
Among those posting to social media expressing opinions that can be interpreted as condoning, excusing, or even celebrating Kirk’s assassination are a nurse at LewisGale, an employee of the Roanoke City Police Department, and professors at both Roanoke College and Virginia Tech.
The Roanoke Star has reached out to those entities for statements; these stories are developing.
Not only are some celebrating the bloodshed, butothers seem to now be threatening other conservatives with violence, apparently in hopes of silencing them.
For example, leftwing talker Keith Olbermann seemed to threaten CNN commentator Scott Jennings with a tweet on X, “You’re next, (expletive),” a tweet Olbermann later deleted but which Jennings flagged for FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate.
Ironically, at the moment of his murder, Kirk was engaging in civil discourse with students at Utah Valley University on the topic of the Left’s “assassination culture.” Because of its Mormon roots, Utah has long been known as one of the safest and most conservative states in the Union, and the killer came from a conservative family. However, his family said he had become increasingly radicalized and had carved some leftist slogans onto some of his bullets.
Tragically ironic, that fateful September 10 campus visit was the kickoff event for TP USA’s fall “American Comeback Tour.”
Shortly after her husband’s assassination, not only did his widow, Erika, address the nation with courage and resolve, but she was unanimously elected to serve as the new CEO for TP USA. Refusing to be silenced or intimidated, she posted on tpusa.com, “OUR CAMPUS TOUR THIS FALL WILL CONTINUE.”
In that spirit, the September 24 rally originally planned at Virginia Tech before the assassination will be held as scheduled.
After Kirk’s untimely, violent death, an array of conservative leaders are stepping up to speak in his stead on the “American Comeback Tour.” Some call it, “pick up the bloody microphone.”
Addressing the Virginia Tech event are Gov. Glenn Youngkin and media personality Megyn Kelly.
As Gov. Youngkin posted on his personal Twitter/X account here, the event is part of the larger campus tour, including Utah State, Indiana University Bloomington, and the University of California, Berkeley.
Hosted by the TPUSA chapter at Tech, the event starts at 6:30 on Wednesday, September 24. Doors open at 5:00.
Student tickets are free; admission is first-come, first-served. Tickets and more information can be found here.
Early voting had begun across the Old Dominion, and although most attention is focusing on the races for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, control of the General Assembly is also up for grabs, with Democrats currently holding a paper-thin majority.
Virginia Tech and its environs are now a political ground-zero in the contest to see which political and cultural direction Virginia will take after this fall’s elections.
One key race and the most competitive contest in our part of the state surrounds the Tech area and pits incumbent Del. Chris Obenshain (R) versus his narrowly-defeated 2023 opponent, Democrat Lily Franklin. Franklin is an avid supporter of Del. Salam “Sam” Rasoul (D-Roanoke City), who has sparked controversy for his Antisemitic comments, as reported here, as well as the shadowy origins of many of his out-of-state political contributions.
Roanoke business owner Maynard Keller is running an independent bid to unseat Rasoul.
What effect Kirk’s assassination and its fallout will have on Virginia’s elections remains to be seen.
-Scott Dreyer
