Before the events in Utah, today—September 11—was already a somber day of remembrance. Twenty-four years on, we honor the lives lost and the resolve that followed. That same resolve is what we need now.
We are all shocked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk yesterday. We are saddened—and moved to act—by the pattern of political assassinations and attempts over the last 14 months. We will avoid speculation and await official updates even as we care for one another and our communities.
How do we, as Braver Angels members, respond?
In caring for one another, we can acknowledge the grief and shock many of us are experiencing: Charlie Kirk was assassinated while openly debating people he disagreed with on a college campus. Some of our members admired his style and felt he spoke eloquently for them on the issues. Others found his approach polarizing and dangerous. Whatever your perspective, yesterday’s tragedy hits close to home for many of us.
It certainly hits close to home for me. I live 25 miles from the Utah Valley University campus. My wife and four of our children studied at this university. Every year, our children’s high school graduations are held on this campus. Friends and family were at the event live. It happened right here.
I know there may be some of us who feel there’s no longer any hope to reason with the other side—that we’ve crossed a line and there may be no way back.
Braver Angels stands for the idea that we each have a choice about how to respond: do I take one more step toward political violence, or do I take one step toward vigorous and respectful debate?
I can’t control what others do; I can only control how I respond.
Now more than ever, our country needs the courageous citizenship that Braver Angels—and the broader movement we’re part of with many other organizations—stands for:
- We state our views freely and fully, without fear.
- We treat people who disagree with us with honesty, dignity, and respect.
- We seek to disagree accurately, avoiding exaggeration and stereotypes.
- We look for common ground where it exists and, when possible, find ways to work together.
We all know this—we joined Braver Angels because we were inspired by these ideals. I was uplifted just this morning rereading the Braver Angels Way. This takes courage. We are choosing to act against the dominant cultural narrative of our day.
Now is exactly the time to stand for these ideals. If not us, who? If not now, when?
Take a concrete step toward courageous citizenship. Reach out to a friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker who differs from you politically. Ask how they are doing and offer support. Listen first. Then affirm your conviction that we all have to work together to build a country without political violence.
For every person who feels our cause is hopeless, there are others who see Charlie Kirk’s assassination as a call to do something productive for our country. This is our time to step forward and show a better way.
Finally, recognize we are not alone. Leaders left to right are denouncing political violence and urging all of us to embrace reasoned and robust discourse.
- “The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work… Engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse. In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate—never through violence. Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.” — Gov. Gavin Newsom
- “My message to young people who are so impacted by Charlie Kirk: you’d make Charlie awfully proud if you continued fighting. But also if you fought in a way where at the end of the day, you can go have a cup of coffee with someone who you disagree with, and show that there’s a humanity to this important endeavor that we’re involved in.” — Matt Schlapp
Our country needs our braver angels in this hour. Choose dignity over division. Check on your people. Lower the temperature. Let’s lead—together.
With gratitude for your commitment,
Maury
