Outside of the sports world, last week was a whirlwind of negative emotions for people here in the US and across the globe.
It may have been one of the most traumatic weeks our Country has had in a long, long time. It was going to be bad enough with having to remember what happened 24 years ago on September 11th. But before that, we had to get through September 10th. That day proved just as harsh for many Americans’ psyches.
On Wednesday of last week, we were told that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated while appearing at an event at Utah Valley University. While many people in the USA and around the world knew who Kirk was, those who didn’t were about to find out.
Kirk created an organization called Turning Point USA at the ripe young age of 18. Kirk had a goal to talk about his political as well as spiritual beliefs to the youth of our Country. Kirk would travel the US, appearing at numerous colleges and universities to debate the youth on their beliefs. Whether they were leaning left or right politically, Kirk would give them a microphone and discuss what mattered to them most.
Over the years, Kirk observed a shift in many of Gen Z’s political and spiritual views due to his message. In fact, in the last Presidential election, President Trump won convincingly among the youth aged 18-24. This was always a Democratic stronghold in the past. But Kirk helped change that; in fact, many feel he was very instrumental in Trump winning the campaign.
But that all changed last week, when a 22-year-old psychopath decided to take matters into his own hands. I refuse to mention his name so as not to give this person any publicity. After plotting his moves, the gunmen climbed onto a roof at the university and fired one shot, killing Kirk. Thankfully, since last week, the gunman has been arrested and will soon face justice.
But that’s not the reason for this column. Since Kirk’s passing, something is changing in our world. The number of vigils and ceremonies for Kirk has been numerous as well as enlightening. Last Sunday, churches around the Country had their best attendance in years, some actually since 9/11 2001. Many are attributing this to the Kirk effect. Charlie would have been so proud to see how his legacy may last a lot longer than his 31 years on our planet.
Now, if some of you are old enough, you will remember our Country was very divided in 2001. But after that horrible day when over 3000 were murdered, the USA and its people were brought together by one thing…sports. Who can forget seeing President Bush in defiance, throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium? Or how all the NFL teams united in one cause and one goal, to heal the Country. And believe it or not, it worked. Our Country was brought together because sports are one of the few areas where we can argue, yet still admit we love the same thing!
It was amazing to see, yet sadly, years later, the US is even more divided than ever before. Why else would a lunatic who was brainwashed by online materials he may have watched be so indoctrinated that he would kill another person, just because he didn’t agree with what he stood for or believed in? Our society has a deep mental sickness, and it must be cured or we are all doomed.
So who do we blame for this sickness? Many people say the media is unbiased, and I agree. Many say the politicians and I agree with that as well. Sadly, neither of these factions will change their ways in the near future.
So what do we turn to? We turn to sports! It worked once; it can surely work again. That is, of course, if the sports leagues want to try and do the right thing. The first place I looked was the NFL. It was just a few years ago, following the death of controversial figure George Floyd, that the NFL jumped on the Black Lives Matter bandwagon. Regardless of whether you agreed or disagreed with this approach, the NFL placed writing on all the stadium turf. End racism was one of their cries, and whether it helped or not, the NFL went full throttle.
Following Kirk’s death, I waited to see if the NFL would have a similar approach. I was initially encouraged to visit the Green Bay Packers and observe a moment of silence for Kirk before their game. However, I was then alerted to the fact that the NFL would not have an official league stance on this subject; instead, each NFL team would make its own choice.
This obviously worried me, as many feel the NFL has become a woke league. But lo and behold, before Sunday’s games, many, if not all, the teams paid tribute to Kirk’s memory. I was very pleased to see this, but it cannot stop there.
The other league must follow suit and do something as well. Major League Baseball has been slow to the chase, with only a few teams holding tributes. College Football had several teams hold a moment of silence before last weekend’s games. But it needs to be stronger than this. Soon, the NHL and especially the NBA will start their seasons. They need to do their own campaign to stop the hate and the violence, and it needs to be LEAGUE-wide. The NBA has been notorious for approaching its own personal agendas on some issues. I hope that this time the league does the right thing and acknowledges the problem.
Rodney King once had a famous saying. King was involved in racial riots back in Los Angeles many years ago. King, a black man, was quoted as saying, “can’t we all just get along?” That exact quote should resonate today. We must stop this hate, which pits one side against the other. It just cost a young man his life, and if it doesn’t slow down, there could be other deaths to follow.
Sports have done it in the past, and it can do it again. It can unite people and allow them to discuss their differences civilly. Because at the end of the day, we are all Americans, and we need to save our Country NOW. The death of Charlie Kirk should be a significant wake-up call to every human being who lives here, as well as around the world. If we cannot just talk to people about our beliefs without being shot and killed for them, then we are in a bad, bad situation.
Kirk’s life will now be immortalized in the person he was and how he was taken way too soon because of hate. We are all better than this. Sports can help us. What’s more important than arguing if the Yankees are better than the Mets, the Cowboys better than the Eagles, or the Panthers better than the Lightning? It’s sports, but it is also life. We can get along; we need help and some guidance. Let’s hope that the world of sports can lead us in the right direction!
If it were up to me, and it’s not, here is my suggestion to some of the leagues. This Sunday, before every NFL game, both teams will meet at the center of the field and together share a moment of reflection and silent prayer. Whether you are religious or not, this is a sign of unity. MLB can do the same thing before its games, but make it unified on the same day, with each team doing the same response.
We have to show togetherness and strength. Our Country is seriously damaged right now. I am not here to point fingers at why; I am here to suggest how sports can help fix it. If not for sports, there might be no other way to bring people together from around the world. We must value our lives and others’ lives equally. The passion we all have for our favorite sports teams can show how we can all bond over a shared interest. We must ensure that Charlie Kirk’s mission continues. To unite each of us in the common good for people and the hope that yes, we can all get along!
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