The young conservative debater and father of two, Charlie Kirk, based his entire life fighting these “people’s” ideas of free speech. With his hot takes and self-taught knowledge of politics, Kirk was the opportunist who made a nearly untapped medium in political media one of the biggest debate formats on the internet. He would visit college campuses having conversations with America’s youth directly. This new idea not only gave him his fame, but also cost him his life. 

Right now, I can only dream of a world where everyone can tolerate each other’s opinions. The problem is directly correlated to the modern citizen’s sensitivity to differences in opinion, which social media and the two-party system have enhanced.

As a Generation Z teenager, I know the annoyance adults cause when they mention how evil social media is. In hindsight, they have an excellent point. We know, because of Churchill’s quote, that hypocrisy over freedom of speech has existed forever, but with the newly found ability to hide behind a screen, people have no shame. Despite the tragedy of Kirk’s death, many people have had no fear in posting things like “I wish the bullet that hit Charlie Kirk a very pleasant day”. 

At first glance, I was horrified when seeing comments like these, and they are horrific, but you must consider the context in which this was written. Most likely, this person has been fed toxic clips of Kirk that only show him in the light of an evil politician. The media’s algorithm ignores almost all news showing a person’s humanity; especially, if you’ve set it up to behave that way. What it doesn’t show is Kirk’s family because that doesn’t create drama or get clicks. In fact, social media has become so malevolent that when my teacher said her husband found out about Kirk’s death on X I said, “Don’t believe that, the media loves to kill off people.” 

While social media is a relatively new invention, we were warned long ago about the division the two-party system would create. “The spirit of party… serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration,” George Washington said in his Farewell Address of 1796. “It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.” Now, nine days before 229 years after Washington addressed the nation, his premonition has come true.

The line has since been drawn between Republicans and Democrats. No matter how factual an argument may be, it is a fallacy to the other side for no reason other than “you’re a democrat” or “you’re a republican”. Congress quickly exemplified this idea just a few hours after Kirk’s death, erupting in a shouting match after Rep. Lauren Boebert suggested a time of prayer for Kirk and his family. Democrats were quick to respond, shouting, “What about the kids in Colorado,” referring to a school shooting that happened the same afternoon. This was followed by, “You caused this,” from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. 

I believe if the two party system was never created, we would not see division like this, especially not represented by the leaders of our country. The system has created a “right” and a “wrong”; a “good” and a “bad”; and a “them” versus “us”. 

Luckily, hope is not lost. Despite the division I would have predicted to occur after a death like Kirk’s, such as what happened in Congress, many more people went onto social media and spread love and unity instead. Among the first to respond were D-Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom, R-La. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, D-N.Y. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Donald Trump. This vast array of people with notably different beliefs proves to the public that community can still be found despite your political standings.

The elite politicians aren’t the only ones making strides to heal the divide in our nation, even communities as small as our own have shown the harmony that can come after tragedy. Immediately after the news had been published, the halls erupted with whispers. “I may not have liked what he had to say, but I did love him,” senior member of the debate team Kaleb Glenn said. “Despite our opinions from time to time, I still greatly respect everything he did for his beliefs. He stood up for what he thought was right, and there is nothing I could ever respect more.”  Students like Glenn made the news of the assasination the talk of the school for the remainder of the day.

The assassination that took place not only poked holes into America’s political system, but also took us back in time 24 years and 364 days ago, uniting the country. As Americans, we should remember what Kirk fought for and come together to heal the divide. In the words of junior Sophie Fisher at the veterans day pep rally, “As we reflect on the events of 9/11, let us remember the importance of unity, kindness and service to others. The legacy of that day is not just one of loss — it is also one of resilience, hope and community.”