Charlie Kirk, free speech and the danger of politics without God

['Bill Mccormick', 'More Bill Mccormick', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] America Magazine 2025-09-16 00:00:00

The assassination of Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10 has led to a conversation across the political spectrum about freedom of speech. How vibrant can the American political tradition be, many worry, when exercising one of its most fundamental rights can lead to being killed? Free speech is of vital importance, both constitutionally and culturally, for the United States. The murder of Charlie Kirk was not just a violation of free speech. Ultimately, any meaningful theory of human rights has to rest on this bedrock, even if some human rights advocates would rather not admit that foundation.