Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and death related to gun violence. App State Wellness and Prevention Services provides free mental health resources for students and can be reached at (828) 262-3148.
App State College Republicans hosted their annual 9/11 memorial Thursday, which also honored the life of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was fatally shot at a college event in Utah Wednesday.
Over 160 students from various campus organizations — including College Republicans, Turning Point USA, Collegians for Christ and 14Six Ministries — gathered alongside faculty and community members to honor the lost lives.
The College Republicans have held a 9/11 memorial service for several years, and this year’s service also honored Kirk due to the general timing of events.
“I think it’s extremely important to have a memorial every year for 9/11,” said Wyatt Byrd, a junior history major, “the coverage, the remembrance, the teaching of 9/11 as a pinnacle event in our generation in America has dwindled.”
Turning Point USA at App State wrote in an Instagram direct message, “This event is a 9/11 memorial and not an official Turning Point event.” They invite people to pray on behalf of the Kirk family but declined to comment further.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, an organization that promotes conservative politics on college campuses. Kirk frequently hosted events at universities in which he invited students to debate politics with him.
The memorial began with a prayer led by Zeke Jones, junior actuarial science major and sergeant of arms of the College Republicans.
Senior political science major and president of College Republicans Joseph Welborn honored the lives lost in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and shared several Bible verses to express his sympathies.
Welborn transitioned into speaking about Kirk and said he “stood boldly and unashamedly in a world who stood against him.”
Jones spoke after Welborn and emphasized the unity of the United States after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He said current politics are extremely divided and spoke about the inappropriate reactions to Kirk’s death on both sides of the political spectrum.
“We have to love each other. We can’t let this divide us. Like I said, this is not an issue of left versus right anymore,” Jones said.
Kirk was a far-right speaker who was criticized by some online due to his views on controversial subjects such as gun control, civil rights and the COVID-19 pandemic. His assassination became another heavy topic with speculations surrounding his killer’s identity, though the suspect is now in custody.
“I understand that people did not like his politics, did not like his views and I respect the fact that as Americans in our first amendment, they have the right to have their opinion,” Byrd said.
Memorial attendees freshman management major Jack Kiser, senior management major Kendall McLaughlin and senior computer information systems major Dylan Bowie said they were concerned with exercising their free speech on campus in wake of Kirk’s death.
“I think it’s important to show our support for someone who passed so tragically for using their freedom of speech right in America,” said Kiser.
Alongside the political groups present were various church organizations such as the 14Six ministries, a non-denominal Christian group on campus. Kirk was a known and vocal Christian and the organization admired his faith, according to Katie Cummings, the vice president of the ministry and a sophomore music education major.
“This is not just about Charlie Kirk, and I want to point that out very clearly,” Cummings said, “There’s just a lot of mourning and loss right now, that is why we are here. It is for the American people.”
