Home Opinion American icon Charlie Kirk was killed by intoleranceAn American icon was assassinated. In a nation whose foundation is free speech and religious liberty, Charlie Kirk was murdered (at least it seems apparent) for exercising those freedoms. Is there any equivalent to Charlie Kirk in the progressive Left? In his 1860 speech, “A Plea for Free Speech in Boston,” Douglass proclaimed: “To suppress free speech is a double wrong. But it is way, way too early.