Mourning the “Man in the Arena” — Charlie Kirk
- Parents Unite
- Sep 11
- 2 min read
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
On Tuesday, we sent out a back-to-school newsletter arguing the case for dialogue and inquiry over activism.
Tragically, the man in the arena, Charlie Kirk — who dedicated his life to engaging college students and asking them to prove him wrong — was assassinated yesterday.
He traveled to campuses to speak with people with whom he disagrees. This used to happen in classrooms.
In the New York Times Opinion piece, Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics the Right Way, Ezra Klein acknowledges:
“You can dislike much of what Kirk believed and the following statement is still true: Kirk was practicing politics in exactly the right way. He was showing up to campuses and talking with anyone who would talk to him. He was one of the era’s most effective practitioners of persuasion. When the left thought its hold on the hearts and minds of college students was nearly absolute, Kirk showed up again and again to break it. Slowly, then all at once, he did.”
Kirk’s impact on promoting the First Amendment and mobilizing young people has been profound, and his legacy will be great. But how do we turn this tragedy into positive action?
Some thoughts:
Watch for your school’s response — If ever there was a teachable moment for schools, this is it. How will your school address this tragedy? Will it acknowledge the courage it took for Kirk to pursue the truth relentlessly? Will it recognize what he built?
Promote civil discourse — Encourage your schools to consider repurposing DEI and affinity group time to teach students how to debate. Civil discourse has never been more critical. Use our Discourse Clubs guide as a starting point for your school or family.
Encourage curiosity — We can learn so much from Kirk, but most importantly, we should be curious about why people might think differently and not judge them for doing so.
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