Powerlessness is a paralyzing feeling. With the assassination of Charlie Kirk – as with the assassination of Melissa Hortman before him – many Americans feel powerless before the threat of violence. So too do many Americans feel powerless to defend their civil liberties. You do not have to agree with these fears to know that in this moment, all of us fear something.
Sometimes we fight against this feeling through anger, outrage, and a fear which can lead to retaliation. These are emotions that can feel empowering, and indeed there is a place for righteous anger in political life. But real power is found in the bonds of community rooted in goodwill. As Martin Luther King Jr. taught, ‘power without love is reckless and abusive.’ At Braver Angels, we are cultivating a power that comes from courageous connection, and empowered citizenship to ensure today’s tragedy does not become tomorrow’s normal. Whatever your politics, you are not powerless. Whatever side of the aisle you are on, you will find power in this community. And in community we have the power to heal our nation for all of us.
Included below are resources to help you respond to this moment. Take a look. If you are not already, join us as a member of our community.
Be a part of our movement to build a house united in America. Now is the time to remember your power.
Take Action
1. FOCUS ON YOUR RESPONSE
Each of us has a choice in this moment: Can we resist the urge to assign blame to entire groups for the actions of one individual? Do we escalate the rhetoric, or do we lower the temperature? This starts with how we speak, how we listen, how we show up online and in our communities.
2. CHECK ON YOUR PEOPLE
Reach out to young adults, students, neighbors, friends. Ask how they are navigating and understanding the unfolding event. Let them know you care and that they are not alone.
3. RECOGNIZE OUR SHARED VALUES
We all value freedom of expression. We all value family. We may disagree on many things, but we can agree that the death of a young father is tragic and that no one should be killed for sharing their opinions in a public forum. Let’s build on those shared values and commitments.
4. SEEK RELIABLE INFORMATION
Those who profit from our political divisions sometimes capitalize on moments of conflict with misinformation and calls for retaliatory violence. Relying on accurate information preserves the public trust, prevents the spread of harmful rumors, and honors the dignity of those affected. Resist the urge to speculate before facts are confirmed.
Additional Resources
BA in the Media
- April Chatham-Carpenter: "Braver Angels pushes for civil discourse in the wake of Charlie Kirk killing"
- Bill Doherty: "Domestic politics taking on 'characteristics of war', former U of M professor says"
- Steve Saltwick: "Processing another act of violence"
- John Wood Jr.: "Charlie Kirk engaged in politics ‘the right way,’ ‘Braver Angels’ national ambassador says"
- Maury Giles.: "The American spirit will choose light.’ Why civility matters even more now"
- Maury Giles.: "Braver Angels CEO hopes Charlie Kirk’s death sparks civility, respect"
- Maury Giles.: "Perspective: The off-ramp from high conflict starts here and now"
- Maury Giles.: "How divided are we? Not as far apart as we think, says Braver Angels CEO"
BA Local Stories
From Maryanne Colter,
Illinois State Coordinator
“We had already planned a meeting scheduled for September 11 where Blue Braver Angels members of the Chicagoland Alliance met with members of the Chicago Young Republicans Club. We were afraid we might have to cancel or that no one would show up. Instead, twice as many Young Republicans showed up than we expected. For a few, it was their first meeting. The Illinois Chair of YR, Evan Kasal, told me many of the attendees had decided to come to our event , passing up candlelight vigils, because they knew that now more than ever it was important to talk across the aisle.
We met in groups of 3, with 2 YRs and 1 BA Blue member and got to know each other. We used questions from the 1:1 Conversations: How were your political views formed, what values do you admire about your side, what is something you like about the other side and something you dislike about our own, and shared an issue that was important to us. In my group, we found common ground in the need for a robust Middle Class and Freedom of Speech, and we shared the concern over the increasing role of religion in politics. No one called anyone a bad name, no one got angry, no one even raised their voice. As we ended, gratitude and thanks were deeply expressed by every participant. I came in with concerns about how the violence of the previous day would impact our previously planned event; I left with new friends and new hope that we can end the vitriol and the violence with the simple act of sitting across a table and talking. We are already planning our next event with another YR Chapter.
Here is the post from the Young Republicans on Facebook: ‘Now more than ever calls for passionate, rigorous and civil discourse with those we disagree with. At the same time we must recognize the humanity and dignity of our neighbor irrespective of their political affiliation. From the beginning the Chicago Young Republicans have championed community building with those passionate about the direction of our Republic. As we move forward in this hour we remain vigilant of the precarious state of our Republic but ever optimistic for the future of our great nation. The Chicago Young Republicans in partnership with Braver Angels hope that this event and future gatherings can serve as a model for continued civil discourse.’
For full post and photos from the event.
Thanks and kudos to Chicagoland Alliance members Sara Shacter for organizing the event, and Brian Padden who is also a Young Republican member and instrumental in bringing the groups together.”
From Rob Hanson,
Idaho State Co-Coordinator,
Mountain Region Co-Lead
In response to a “Checking In” email — I, and the rest of the Braver Angels Office of Field Operations, sent to individual Regional Leaders – Eric Ireland
“Thanks for checking in, Eric. We’re pretty busy. We had a State Alliance meeting last night. People needed to talk. We talked about things we have in common. The feedback was that we need Braver Angels more than ever now.
Because of the assassination, we are turning a Fishbowl at a Boise State University class into more of a listening session with some depolarizing within learning.
A student from Idaho State University reached out wanting to start a Braver Angels club at her school. We’re following up with her.
Charlie Kirk’s murder has opened a lot of peoples’ eyes about the situation we are in, if we don’t do something different.
How was your time in Idaho? I think you were visiting the Burley area. Is that right?
I appreciate all you do.”
-Rob Hanson
From Rich Harris,
Delaware Alliance
“Just wanted to share a quick story about our Alliance in Delaware. We are just in our formative stages and at our monthly Zoom meeting on 9/09, we welcomed a potential new member, a woman who chairs a regional Republican committee. As is often the case in Braver Angels, she was outnumbered by the Blues in our group and folks were treading on eggs a bit. Still, the engagement was sincere and she seemed inclined to commit.
The next day in Utah Charlie Kirk was killed, and in casting about for what I could do in a tiny state on the Eastern Seaboard, all I could come up with was to call our new Republican and ask how she was doing. The gratitude and generosity of her response at simply reaching out actually took me aback. However, that simple Braver Angels act of recognizing her humanity persuaded her to join the DE Alliance. Our exchange was as uplifting for me as it was for her.”
Minnesota State
“Here’s what our team is doing:
- The two state co-chairs submitted an op-ed that ran in MinnPost, an online newspaper.
- The 3,500 subscribers and members in the state received an email from the state coordinators.
- Bill Doherty scheduled an interview with a conservative talk show host whose program airs on conservative radio stations around the state.
- We responded to messages from individual members.
- We read a prepared statement at our monthly Zoom topic meeting.
- We posted links on our website and FB page.”
From Susan Rico,
California State Co-Coordinator,
Orange County Alliance
“We sent an email to 450 email subscribers in our area that included the wonderful suggestions provided by National, including:
Here are some steps you can take now:
- Reach out to someone who thinks differently from you. Use our 1:1 Red/Blue conversation guide to have a meaningful dialogue—or simply ask how they’re doing and offer support.
- Share Braver Angels’ message across social media (X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn). In the midst of toxicity, this is our chance to raise a different voice.
- Join us for a national convening this Sunday. We’ll follow up with details soon.
Now more than ever, our country needs the courageous citizenship Braver Angels calls forth:
- Speak your views freely and fully, without fear.
- Treat those who disagree with honesty, dignity, and respect.
- Disagree accurately—without distortion or stereotype.
- Seek common ground and, when possible, work together.”
