Activists like Mr. Kirk challenged this hostility head-on by touring campuses and debating students. One of Mr. Kirk’s core beliefs was that free speech is essential to the American experiment. Abandoning free speech in the wake of Mr. Kirk’s death implies that Mr. Kirk’s own belief was mistaken. Mr. Thakur believes that Mr. Kirk’s assassination is an exceptional moment demanding a strong response. Mr. Thakur is talking about the people in your dorm, the people you sit next to in the dining hall.