Since Charlie Kirk’s shocking assassination, one thing has become abundantly clear. Many are now racing to recast his death into a symbol far larger than the man he was. This is leading to people distorting his legacy and the deeper truths of the moment. 

   On one side, conservatives have quickly martyred Kirk. A modern saint of free speech. At the memorial for him, President Donald Trump called him, “A martyr for America’s Freedom,” insisting, “none of us will ever forget Charlie” (Washington Post). Turning Point USA, the youth movement he founded, saw over 32,000 requests to form new chapters in the 48 hours following his death. People on social media have also created AI-generated fan art of Kirk depicting him as the “13th apostle.” 

   But before we rush to put Kirk on this large pedestal, we should remember what he stood for and what he did not. To portray him as the modern-day Martin Luther King Jr. is not just inaccurate, it is offensive. King confronted oppression with a peaceful, nonviolent approach, uplifting people with hope and love. Kirk has come out saying, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he is qualified.’” He has also gone on record calling the civil rights movement a mistake. He also calls Islam, “The sword the left is using to slit the throat of America”(Common Dreams). 

   Many have pushed back hard on the deification of Kirk. Representative Ilhan Omar, while expressing sympathy for Kirk’s family, insists, “There is no legacy to honor. It was a legacy filled with bigotry, hatred, and white supremacy” (Independent). Others caution that in our rush to memorialize, we risk sanitizing a man whose public persona was built on outrage and division. 

   Still, mocking his death- as many have done- is not activism. It is cruel. It’s easy to dismiss a polarizing figure like Kirk with memes and jokes, but dehumanizing anyone in death is immoral. Laughing at the way someone was killed does not make a point; it is just evil. While Kirk did awful things in his life, he was still a father, husband, and a person who was legally allowed to speak what he wanted. 

   The assasination of Kirk has shown severely the glorification of hatred. People are far too excited to forget every awful thing this man has said and done just because he sadly passed away. Yes, Kirk should have been allowed to safely share his opinion. But Kirk also was not a good man, and it is ok to remember that even though he passed.