COLUMN: On Parliament Hill – A brutal, untimely death and the awakening of democracy

“Liberals basically feel free to say anything they want on any subject, regardless of consequences, that’s not an overstatement—while moderates and conservatives and libertarians feel like they have to radically self-censor if they want to avoid consequences for their beliefs,” said the research director of the Aristotle Foundation in the National Post. The foundation’s recent survey found that nearly half of Canadian university students are actively concealing their true beliefs.

Young Canadians are feeling muted, which then sadly cheats us as a society.

But that was not the case for Charlie Kirk. He spoke out at universities and public platforms across the U.S. with courage. Not only that, but he gave all perspectives a platform to voice their opinion. He was an advocate for open debate.

Yet, when asked by one young man what he wanted to be remembered for, Charlie replied for the courage to speak his faith. Not surprisingly, the legacy that is rising above many of the misconstrued and out-of-context statements against him is just that. A man who spoke from a place of conviction about the truth informed by his Christian faith, wanting to give truth a chance over the woke noise crashing around us. Not speaking out would be cowardly to him, as he believed he was speaking truth to power. That is, the power of the deceptive narratives is misleading so many of the next generation.

Sadly, this past Tuesday was a moment that will be etched in the hearts of many young and older people alike. All because of the senseless, brutal and tragic assassination of a young father, Charlie Kirk, in the prime of his life. This will be a defining moment in history. As one young man I know said, “In a way, the bullet came for all of us.”

That is because we live in a culture of labelling and cancelling. If folks label someone with different beliefs than their own, they cancel them. Once cancelled, their value is discredited. Perhaps this is why some social media posts and voices are claiming Kirk’s assassination is okay. Voices like Manitoba’s own NDP Minister Nahanni Fontaine, who attributed to Kirk just about every label she could find in the dictionary, seemingly to dismiss the tragedy and heartbreak of his murder and attack his Christian faith.

Thankfully, others are sounding the alarm. In a social media video, well-known Democrat Bernie Sanders urges people to remember the essence of democracy, reminding them that freedom is about speaking without fear of being killed, as differing viewpoints are vital to a free and democratic society.

That is, in fact, our Canadian vision. As Prime Minister John Diefenbaker said in 1960, “I am a Canadian, a free Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship God in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.”

Similarly, speaking about Kirk’s murder, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper said this week, “You can have vigorous arguments without ostracization, cancellation, and ultimately, assassination.

We can.

May the voices of Diefenbaker, Harper, Sanders, and so many others not be drowned out by cowardice. Today is a critical time in the history of democracy. Let’s make it a defining moment of hope for the generations who will come after us. May Charlie Kirk’s senseless death result in change.