Humanity

 I'm one to keep my religious and political opinions to myself, unless I know for a fact someone else shares my same thoughts and beliefs.  I have a personal rule to never talk about it, especially when you're drinking.  Everyone has their own opinions, and they will never align with yours.  

September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was assassinated in front of thousands, and in front of his family.  I was at my mom's with the kids when R called me.  He said, 'Do you know who Charlie Kirk is?' I said the name sounded familiar.  He explained to me and my jaw was on the floor.  He told me he was assassinated, and I just couldn't believe it.  Within 5 minutes, my 'village group chat,' was pinging my phone.  My brother came into the room and showed me the graphic video of the moment it happened.  

Instantly, my mood changed.  I was ready to get on the road because the drive would be almost 2 hours for us due to traffic.  When we drove away, I made sure the kids had their devices and headphones on before I started to flip though the radio channels.  Normally, I'll pull up one of my Amazon music playlists and jam out.  This time was different.

For almost 2 hours on the road and in bumper-to-bumper traffic I listened to talk shows updating about Charlie Kirk.  It was heartbreaking.  The video I saw replayed in my head and my heart hurt.

Let me be clear, I did not know the man, only of the man.  I have only cried for 2 celebrities passing in my life and this will be the third.  I cried for different reasons this time.  I might not have agreed with everything Charlie would speak about, but I admired his intelligence on certain subjects, and he was always advocating about debates and speaking up.  That is my personal opinion which even now I'm afraid to share.  No one is perfect and again, I didn't agree with everything he had to say but he did educate people on a lot of levels.

I cried because all I could think about was his family who witness the moments of his death.  I then cried for the two little beings I carried in my backseat who were oblivious to what was going on in the world at that moment.  

My children, the children in the world right now are growing up in a place people are taking lives because of opinionated disagreements.  People are doing the same over a dollar, food, or because someone decided to become more successful and others think stealing or taking their life will make their own better.   Because someone has an expensive car, because someone said, 'Republicans this or Democrats that.' Someone is black, or someone is white.  It's hate fueled aggression and people don't control themselves.

Charlie had his own personal opinions on things and that was okay, but the one thing I teach others is 'words can't hurt you unless you let them.'  Charlie's words hurt a lot of people because they allowed it.  Again, I didn't agree with a lot of things Charlie said, but I shrugged it off because I didn't allow his opinions to affect me.  I kept going with my life and how I choose to live.  

When I laid down in bed that night, I turned off the lights while staring up at the ceiling.   I pictured his family and what they were doing at that moment.  It was blank.  I couldn't even imagine.  A wife lost her husband, and 2 children lost their father.  No more hugs, good night kisses, birthday parties with him, celebrating graduations, weddings or the birth of a child in their family.  All because of OPINIONS.

Now I fear I have to change the way I raise our kids.  I teach them to be kind to anyone and everyone, but that's terrifying because a woman was stabbed and killed on a train for literally no reason.  I tell them not to judge, but a man was shot and killed in front of his family because he was judged on his opinions.  I fear for my kids, and my family and we shouldn't have to live that way.

Hug your family, kiss your babies.  Teach kindness but be aware of everyone you speak to.  If religion and politics come up do what I do.  'I'm not comfortable speaking about that, respectfully.'