It’s hard to believe Charlie Kirk is dead. Gone to an assassin’s bullet, while loving and challenging young minds on a lovely college campus in Utah.
A good life of a good man gone too soon. I remember him well, when we fought the good fight for free speech on a college campus in Texas.
About eight years ago, he wanted to start a chapter of his conservative Turning Point USA at Texas Christian University. The liberal officials there wanted no part of it. As an alumnus I heard of this, and I joined his fight.
Charlie, and a small but strong group of students, petitioned, pleaded, and begged the administration to let them have a voice on campus. The answer was loudly no…followed by silence.
I called Charlie and then I called Chancellor Victor Boschini. We had talked and tangled before about allowing conservatives a voice on campus.
I reminded him again of the goal and need of politically diverse opinions at TCU. He admitted that was true—even though it was unwanted up and down the halls of academia. (This I was outright told.)
Charlie and I fought on regardless and despite of their adopted wokeism. Example, the administration quietly circulated a letter suggesting avoiding the word “Christian” when referencing TCU to the public.
The idea was “the term Christian does not represent the diversity of this campus accurately to the world,” the new TCU said.
This notion was a far cry from 1873 when Christian minister brothers Addison and Randolph Clark started the college. They have rolled over many times in their graves.
TCU put up every road block, every wall, and every ridiculous excuse to keep Charlie and his kind out. He was used to it. He experienced this from learned elites in thousands of institutions of higher learning across America.
For days we fought, armed only with phones and emails, at this Gettysburg-like war for the cause of knowledge. We were right, and they were wrong. It was that simple.
In the end, Charlie won again. And true to his nature, he was gracious. “Wayne, you got us there,” he said.
Today TCU has a chapter on campus. And, conservative ideas are being shared and actually being considered. Young people are hearing the old teaching of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And, they love it. TCU, well…
And in a big way, they have champion Charlie Kirk to thank. RIP.
Wayne Anderson is a 1984 graduate of Texas Christian University and a resident of the Village of Tamarind Grove. He is well known for his efforts to keep a little white cross in his yard.