The assassination of Charlie Kirk of Utah Valley University has exacerbated the tough times in higher education due to the focus on free speech on campus. The voice on the right attributed the university to Kirk’s death, calling them “indoctrination camps” and compared it to “radical jihadist groups.”
Although the suspect is not a student, Kirk’s murder intersects with concerns that the student is increasingly unable or unwilling to interact with dissenting opinions. Critics cited the recent Ranking of Free Speech in Fire Academy, which showed that one-third of students believed using violence to stop speakers was acceptable.
The university did not cause Kirk’s death, but leaders cannot ignore the discovery that one-third of students supported violence against speakers. Although most students will never resort to violence, this possibility forces universities to reassess campus safety. UVU’s police chief admitted that more than half of his 15 officers could not secure a crowd of 3,000 during the Kirk event. Security experts point out that stopping the shooting from the top of the building requires a Secret Service-style scan. The incident raised questions about bringing external spokespersons to campus. With so many budget issues in the Advanced Emergency Room, who will bear the cost of ensuring it is safe?
However, on the ground of UVU, campus life looks very different from the critic’s portrayal. A few hours after the shooting, the student newspaper, UVU Reviewsprofessors reportedly contacted students to provide resources and recover from the course. Students called everyone and told them they were safe. Strangers hugged each other and students offered to anyone who needed it to ride home. They put the difference aside to make them feel sad. “It feels like our life has stopped,” one student said. “But it’s always for everyone else. I’m ready for life, no matter how much it changes.”
Given Kirk’s excellence, students across the country will also feel that this event has changed their lives as well. With more than 850 campus chapters, Turning Point USA is an organization for conservative students to find the community. Even for students who disagree with Kirk, he inspired them to engage in political issues and debate their ideas.
But the reaction to Kirk’s death shows that the ideological cracks on campus have only deepened. At least 15 faculty members have been fired because they seem to have forgiven the shooting on social media, with many online campaigns asking them to fire. Meanwhile, Walt Wilson told Daily tarheel Even if he disagrees with him, he is mourning Kirk. “Being debated and promoting freedom of speech, especially in places like universities that should flourish, it’s a real tragedy, it’s a real tragedy and shows the issue of communication and reconciliation,” he said.
Freedom of speech can only survive when it is protected in practice. This moment will test the determination of higher education: Will political pressure drive college retreat, or do they suggest free expression as a turbulent path?
