Musings from the Chair

Remembering 9/11, Mourning Charlie Kirk, and Fighting for America’s Soul

It's September 11, 2025, and while my original intent for this post was to honor and remember this day, I’ve had to adjust while I process, both mentally and emotionally, the events of the past day.  As we mark the 24th anniversary of that horrific day when nearly 3,000 lives were stolen by hatred and terror, we're hit with another gut-wrenching blow: the assassination of Charlie Kirk yesterday at Utah Valley University. I keep alternating between raw anger that makes my blood boil and a grief so deep it leaves me hollow and in literal tears. Charlie was more than a voice for conservatism—he was a force, a 31-year-old father of two, husband, and unapologetic defender of everything that makes America worth fighting for. His death isn't just a tragedy; it's a stark reminder that we're in a war, one that demands clarity and unbreakable resolve.

Let's take a moment to remember 9/11. Those attacks weren't random—they were a calculated strike by an ideology that despises freedom, family, and faith, aiming to drag the world into darkness. The heroes who rushed into the towers, the passengers who fought back on Flight 93, the first responders who gave everything—they stood as beacons of American courage. Today, as flags fly at half-staff for both the fallen of 9/11 and Charlie, we see echoes of that same evil. Charlie was mid-sentence, engaging a crowd on his "American Comeback Tour," when a sniper's bullet took him down. The governor called it what it was: an assassination. The manhunt's on, but the why cuts deeper—the shooter targeted a man who embodied the light we're all mourning today, the same light they tried to destroy on 9/11.

And here's the ugly truth staring us in the face: an ideology has taken root here at home, one that seethes with envy toward everything noble and cheers the depraved. It's at war with family, nature, and order itself—glaring bitterly at strong homes and families while indulging chaos and crime, organizing relentlessly to dismantle beauty and virtue, propping up the depraved instead. Its followers, often hiding in plain sight as educators, bureaucrats, politicians, or influencers, swarm online to celebrate Charlie's murder with a glee that's downright chilling. Just look at the posts gloating over a bullet silencing a patriot, and the way it mirrors the hatred that fueled 9/11. This isn't fringe—it's willful, and it always ends in violence.

Charlie's loss hits personally for so many of us because he wasn't just rallying college kids through Turning Point USA; he was reigniting faith in America's promise—the one born in 1776 that lifted millions from tyranny and poverty. While other revolutions brought chains and despair, America's brought hope, democracy, and prosperity. Charlie got that. In a generation drowning in doubt about the West, he preached the gospel of an America where families thrive, faith guides, and freedom rings. He supported Israel's right to exist amid rising bigotry, fought the cultural rot head-on, and did it with the fire of an evangelist. Some may not have agreed with him on every issue—but his belief in America's goodness? That transcended politics. Charlie carried this truth with conviction, a young voice reminding us of the promise that defines us. His work was not just political—it was a defense of Christian values and the very idea of America, a nation that has given the world hope, prosperity, and the chance to thrive. Losing him feels like losing a piece of the future we want for our kids.

His loss cuts deeply because it is personal. It is a reminder that the world he championed—a world where our children can grow in safety, where goodness is upheld, where Christ is King, and where the American experiment endures—is under siege. This is not about one policy or another; it is about whether the values that built this nation will survive. Charlie’s death is a wound to us all, but it must also be a rallying cry. We cannot falter. The future of our families, our communities, and our civilization depends on our resolve to confront this destructive force with steadfast clarity. We must dedicate ourselves to the work Charlie began, to protect the ideals that make America exceptional.

This isn't a political spat anymore. It's existential. Charlie devoted his life to this fight, and he gave his last full measure yesterday. In his honor, and for the 9/11 fallen, we must commit with fierce love and determination to finish what he started. We must expose the machine, defeat the darkness, and rebuild an America where the good, the righteous, and the beautiful prevail. The fate of our children, our society, our very civilization hangs in the balance. Defeating this poison isn't optional; it's our duty.

In hope and resolve,
Terri Coulter
Chairman, Wagoner County Republican Party