GenXRVet's Opinion

So, obviously this is on everyone’s mind of late. And it should be. The loss of life should always be present in our minds. Especially when the reason is so senseless and cruel.

I didn’t know Charlie until his death was announced. I had heard his name here and there but never followed him or heard him speak. Watching the clip of his death was very profound to me. What I saw, was a young man simply speaking to a group of college students. It’s unreal to know that a human being “decided” that this other human being, who was just talking to other human beings, needed to die.

Following his death, it’s been even more insane to read and hear all the intense feelings and statements from both liberals and conservatives. His death is being celebrated by some, and some are making him a martyr. Innocent death should never be celebrated. Martyrdom is also a precarious road to take.

This is my view, and you can take it for what it’s worth. Charlie had a message in his heart that he felt compelled to share. He didn’t force it on anyone. He simply offered it. Now he most likely “hoped” you would hear his message and if it touched your heart and aligned with you, then you would benefit. If not, he kept speaking his heart anyways.

Charlie was 31 years old. A husband and father. Two children under the age of 5. Two baby girls. One of my sons is the same age with two little girls. I am a girl Dad and grandfather. Aside from the “political” rhetoric, a wife lost her husband, best friend, confidant and caregiver, two girls lost their Daddy, protector, superman, knight in shining armor. They lost their world. That is the tragedy here. That is the only thing that matters.

We as a society must not and cannot allow ourselves to “devolve” to the level of killing those we do not agree with. I am the only Republican in my family. My brothers and I have learned to just not discuss politics or religion. We were all raised Democrat and Southern Baptist. My brothers are still Democrat but either question or doubt God. I am Republican and firmly believe that Jesus Christ is my lord and savior and hope to be with him and our heavenly father. As you can see, we are oddly different.

I did recently learn that “the freedom of speech” only applies to the federal government. Meaning, you can say what you feel about the US government without fear of retaliation. Anywhere else, it depends on where you are at. Employers can fire you for what you say. They can peruse your social media accounts and if they have a mind, fire you. That also means you don’t have to listen to what you don’t agree with.

We as a society, should be grieving that a troubled young man felt compelled for whatever reason, to take another man’s life, without cause.

Charlie spoke his heart and paid for it with his life. Just as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and John F. Kennedy. All fathers, husbands, and sons.