The temperature of our political discourse is far too high.

The temperature of our political discourse is far too high. 

The recent tragedy in my home state of Utah is beyond comprehension. A father, husband, son, and thinker was cruelly taken from the world at just 31 years old. It is easy to view this awful event as yet another example of using violence to silence those with whom we disagree. Though the person who took Charlie Kirk from us may have thought that he was eliminating a perspective, what he in fact was doing was attempting to eliminate something much deeper and fundamental: he wanted to eliminate the right to have a perspective. 

This tragedy should serve as a turning point, to use the term Charlie Kirk popularized, for the entire spectrum of political beliefs. When we normalize hyperbole – using terms such as fascists, Nazis, or Stalinists – we raise the temperature of the national discourse one degree at a time, eventually reaching a fever pitch that, in the most extreme cases, results in violence. 

Each of us as citizens bears a responsibility for the society in which we live. While our freedom of speech is guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, it also comes with exceptional responsibility. Censorship is not the answer, as this awful act was, at its core, an act of censorship. We need an even more robust dialogue, one that doesn’t seek to divide through only allowing or prioritizing certain speech as we have seen over the past years through bias in the news media and even through government-sponsored censorship on social media, but one that prioritizes the values of civil debate and discourse that Charlie Kirk practiced in his short but powerful life. 

I am proud to be affiliated with The Steamboat Institute, an organization that brings together thinkers on every side of the discussion through its Campus Liberty Tour debates and that promotes our founding principles of freedom of expression, speech, and thought. At the Freedom Conference just a few weeks ago, we were reminded of one of the most powerful moments in American history. When leaving the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, a bystander outside asked Benjamin Franklin, “what have we got: a monarchy, or republic?” He astutely and correctly responded, “a republic…if you can keep it.” Charlie Kirk was dedicated to keeping our Republic through civil engagement and bravely standing up for what he believed. In his honor, may all of us fulfill our obligations as informed, engaged citizens to ensure that we keep our Republic. 

Cade Alcock is a member of The Steamboat Institute’s Emerging Leaders Council.