Since Charlie Kirk’s assassination I have struggled to put thoughts to words. His death was a senseless tragedy that follows so many before it. In the wake of it, we take sides, pointing fingers, leveling insults.
Our family has experienced two senseless tragedies. In 1989, my 7-year-old great-nephew was killed in an accidental shooting at the home of his aunt (my niece) when children found an unsecured handgun. Thirty-plus years later that aunt died by suicide. Our family experienced so many emotions in the days and years following each terrible event. We were angry and blamed one another. We drowned in guilt and powerlessness. Through this awful process I’ve learned these are shared emotions. They do not belong to anyone exclusively. The things we do/fail to do, say/fail to say, and the hurt we dispense by casting doubt on the worth and value of each other is the place where such tragedies are allowed to take root.
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I’m not comparing accidents to assassination, rather noting that we look outward for cause instead of inward for conversion. I’ve learned to ask, “How do I help create an environment where this happens?” “How can I offer acceptance instead of judgment without sacrificing my inner compass?” “How can I better accompany, respect, and love others who are different from me?”
Charlie Kirk’s death was a tragedy. Whether we find ways to look inward for solutions or outward for blame will determine whether we learn from his loss.
Kathy Arens, Ewing
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