Charlie Kirk’s death. This one hurts

By Jason Williams,
Founder of the Taxpayers Association of Oregon.

Unlike other tragedies, this one both hit and hurt differently.  As Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, said, “We don’t even know what to do with what we know. But the assassination of Charlie Kirk feels different as an event, like a hinge point, like something that is going to reverberate…”

I heard about the shooting while traveling this week.  I simply refused to look at any news, because I just couldn’t fathom that one of the most successful and brightest stars in our movement could be killed so early, so young, so cold-blooded.

Within hours of the shooting, people I was traveling with were getting text messages and Facebook comments like “He brought this upon himself” and other criticisms.   In a small way, I felt the culture-of-death that killed Charlie Kirk right around me.  I don’t need to hunt down insensitive Tik-Tok videos or X comments on this tragedy, they found me.  They always find me.  They find you too. We feel this political Leftist culture-of-death in Oregon everywhere.

Cornelius City Councilor John Colgan said this, “Hearing that Charlie Kirk got shot and died really brightened up my day.Nobody deserves it, but some are asking for it.”

Nearly a decade ago, when Charlie was first blooming, the Taxpayers Association of Oregon briefly used Charlie Kirk to help design a mail piece for us.   Back then, you could tell that this young man was different, he had an incredible talent.

I personally was amazed that Charlie Kirk was able to score  unbelievable success and massive followings on college campuses. This meant a lot to me, as I have attended three different Oregon colleges and found censorship and political harassment at each one.  That was hard to experience at the time.  Yet, to see Charlie Kirk step into the same problem and that he was able to over-turn the oppressive forces and use it to his advantage was extraordinary.  It gave me hope.  Now, hope was shot dead.

Twenty days ago, I felt a peculiar interest to start watching Charlie Kirk debate videos.  I began watching them everyday.   It ramped me up on his life and his work, and made his sudden death all the more shocking for me.   The whole 20-day period now seems surreal.

I am very grateful for the life of Charlie Kirk.

His contribution to our nation feels providential and destiny driven.  It also feels like it is a part of a wider movement of our nation finding progress through dark and difficult times.  It feels like there are more Charlie Kirks to come.   This is good.

My final thoughts are to repeat my alarm call against Oregon’s Leftist culture-of-death.  Below is an article I wrote shortly after Kirk’s death and bears repeating.

EXAMPLES OF OREGON POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN 2025

There is too much political violence in America — especially in Oregon.

Consider these 6 acts of political violence just this year.

• Three independent reporters were attacked during a single week at the Portland ICE protests.  Here is one of them being beaten to the ground.

• When Tesla became politically unfavored this year, Leftists shot-up a Tigard Tesla and a saboteur threw a flaming Molotov cocktail at a Salem dealership.  A third person went to the Salem Tesla dealership and used a laser pointer to blind staff and innocent customers.

•  A gang of nearly 10 vandals sabotaged the Multnomah County Elections Office which has been hit by Left-leaning vandalism for years.

•  The Oregon anti-Trump protests this year were filled with calls for violence and bloody guillotines;

Three beheading signs at a single protest!

•  In April, Portland politicians try to exonerate a dozen violent PSU rioters. Portland City Councilor, Mitch Green has said he will withhold any Portland City funding of Portland State University unless the college gives a pardon to dozen of suspects charged with rioting.  These rioters chased Jewish students off campus. These rioters took control of the PSU library and caused a million dollars of damage.  These rioters scrawled messages on PSU such as “Kill the Jews” and “Kill your local Congressman.”

• Protesters shut down Portland Mayor’s recent public speech and forced him to leave the event.  Not even the Mayor feels safe speaking in his own city.

•  A known Portland political rioter began disrupting traffic and hitting people — including a child, brandished a stick as a weapon.   The attacker said “I’m going to go to prison for killing somebody”.  It took several officers in a dogpile to stop the rampage.

BONUS OREGON 2025 POLITICAL VIOLENCE FROM THE PORTLAND ICE RIOTS:

• Multiple law enforcement personnel have been injured during the recent Portland ICE riots.
• Nearby residents have been assaulted
• 3 independent journalists have been assaulted.
• The nearby school has closed due to the riots.
• Police are unable to enforce open law breaking that is going on nightly.
• Residents nearby cannot open their windows because of both the tear gas used as riot control and also the large volume of smoke bombs used by protesters.
• Local shops are losing business as the riots damage windows and chase away customers.
• Law enforcement officials have had their names, addresses and family photos of family members posted online.

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