A year after Kirk's killing, reject political violence

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

One year ago, a senseless act of political violence sent shock waves through our country. Early in the afternoon of Sept. 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a planned debate at Utah Valley University. Charlie Kirk was a political leader, a dedicated father and a loving husband. His murder is a terrible example of what can happen when polarization allows us to dehumanize our neighbors. The anniversary of his death is a solemn opportunity for us to commit to disagreeing better and practicing civil political engagement.

In the days and weeks that followed Charlie Kirk's assassination, we saw political figures on both sides of the aisle condemning the terrible attack. We also, unfortunately, saw posts from various corners of the internet celebrating his death.

No matter how much we disagree with someone, something we can all agree on is that the lives of people are more important than politics. When rhetoric toward political figures, groups, or individuals begins to call for physical confrontation or violence, it is all of our responsibility to speak up and reject it. Dehumanizing language, which has become increasingly common across the political spectrum, is often a precursor to violent actions. We all must resist and call out dangerous and damaging comments at every stage. Threats of violence against any of our political leaders are a very serious democratic problem and damage our communities and country regardless of what party or platform we support. It is important that all of us do something. The stakes associated with doing nothing are far too high, as we've seen.

As we move deeper into an election year, policy disagreements and differing priorities will continue to come to the forefront. But such disagreements, when expressed respectfully, are exactly what our founders built this great nation upon. It is our differences that compel us to find common ground and tap into our common desire to live in a peaceful, functioning society. In Arizona, we can do that by remembering that even people we disagree with politically are still people.

Charlie Kirk had roots in Arizona. Turning Point USA, which was co-founded by Kirk, is headquartered in Phoenix. His assassination was a painful reminder for many Arizonans of the mass shooting and attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in 2011 at a constituent meeting in Tucson. As a survivor of the attack on Congresswoman Giffords, Ron knows the pain and suffering that comes from terrible acts of political violence. And we must do everything in our power to prevent dreadful events like this from happening again.

The Arizona Democracy Resilience Network (ADRN) is a cross-partisan initiative of The Carter Center working to bring Arizona together and bridge our political divides. We promote peaceful resolution of disputes and differences through constructive engagement, promote accurate information about our issues and institutions, and counter acts of intimidation through dialogue and conflict- sensitive communication.

If you do nothing else today, take an inward pledge to listen to people who disagree with you and engage others respectfully and with humanity. Look for personal points of connection with others, rather than political differences. By listening to others and rejecting violent rhetoric, we can begin to counter threats to our society and build a more peaceful, understanding country.

If you are interested in getting involved in building a stronger democratic republic for all Arizonans, learn more about the ADRN and join us.

Ron Barber and Don Henninger are Co-Leads of the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network

RON BARBER