{"id":14510,"date":"2025-09-15T11:17:57","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T15:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=14510"},"modified":"2025-09-15T11:36:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T15:36:08","slug":"farewell-charlie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=14510","title":{"rendered":"Farewell Charlie"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"14514\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?attachment_id=14514\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CKirkTH091525.jpg?fit=253%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"253,200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"CKirkTH091525\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CKirkTH091525.jpg?fit=253%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-14514 alignleft\" style=\"border-width: 10px; border-style: solid;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CKirkTH091525.jpg?resize=253%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"253\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CKirkTH091525.jpg?w=253&amp;ssl=1 253w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CKirkTH091525.jpg?resize=230%2C182&amp;ssl=1 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 253px) 100vw, 253px\" \/>I initially felt compelled to write this immediately after learning of Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination. Fortunately, I waited until my anger had subsided, allowing me to think more rationally about my words. I understand that if I had spoken out immediately after this tragic event, I would have been the very opposite of what Mr. Kirk had asked of us all. Instead, I want to be civil and extend my condolences and sorrow, especially to his family.<\/p>\n<p>Now that several days have passed, I feel more composed to discuss this tragic event. I\u2019ve been a fan of Charlie Kirk for some time now, and those who know me won\u2019t be surprised. However, what may surprise some is that I wasn\u2019t initially a fan of him based on his opinions or his conservative views, which align with mine. Instead, I admired him for his ability to engage in debates in a calm and respectful manner. He never resorted to insulting or disrespecting those who disagreed with him. He possessed many admirable qualities, and I held him in high regard. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Violence is never the answer, as it has been repeatedly emphasized. This country will never return to its former glory as the \u201cHome of the Brave\u201d and the \u201cLand of the Free\u201d as long as people are capable of murdering someone simply because they disagree with their opinions. This is unacceptable in our country, and it should never happen. Unfortunately, it will because there are too many individuals in positions of power who either actively or subtly encourage such behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Charlie did not deserve any form of violence perpetrated against him. He did absolutely nothing to warrant having his life taken. He held an opinion, but did he deserve to die for it? If it\u2019s acceptable to take another&#8217;s life simply because they hold a different viewpoint from another, then all of us, regardless of our opinions, are in jeopardy of being killed because we have an opinion.<\/p>\n<p>Charlie initiated a movement called \u201cTurning Point.\u201d I believe the name given to that organization was somehow prophetic, foreshadowing the future.\u00a0 I believe his death marks a turning point that will raise awareness in this country. Many people will suddenly realize who we were, what we have become, and the urgent need to return to a united nation where we can respectfully exchange opinion&#8217;s without resorting to violence .<\/p>\n<p>If we learn nothing from this but one thing, let it be that it\u2019s okay to disagree and debate, but it\u2019s not okay to be insulting, be disrespectful, or hateful. Can we at least agree on that? That would be a good legacy for Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n<p>Charlie Kirk, gone too soon!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I initially felt compelled to write this immediately after learning of Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination. Fortunately, I waited until my anger had subsided, allowing me to think more rationally about my words. I understand that if [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_daextrevo_audio_file_creation_date":"","_daextrevo_text_to_speech":"","_daextrevo_document_type":"text","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CKirkTH091525.jpg?fit=253%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12197,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=12197","url_meta":{"origin":14510,"position":0},"title":"An Alligator Named Charlie","author":"Tom Lind","date":"January 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"When I was a boy, I had a pet, an alligator named Charlie. I only had Charlie for a brief period, perhaps a month or two. My Mother and I had philosophical differences on the keeping of an alligator as a pet, and more specifically, where I housed said alligator.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nostalgia&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nostalgia","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=20"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Everglades_National_Park_cypress.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Everglades_National_Park_cypress.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Everglades_National_Park_cypress.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Everglades_National_Park_cypress.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11591,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=11591","url_meta":{"origin":14510,"position":1},"title":"Gather &#8217;round Cats, Let Me Tell You A Story","author":"Tom Lind","date":"February 5, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in the late 50's when I was a teen age boy a song was released called \"The All American Boy\". There is a lot of controversy about who wrote the song, who recorded the song, etc. This blog is not about that, but just to keep the record straight,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nostalgia&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nostalgia","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=20"},"img":{"alt_text":"guitar-cat-diane-ursin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/guitar-cat-diane-ursin-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14475,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=14475","url_meta":{"origin":14510,"position":2},"title":"Make It So!","author":"Tom Lind","date":"March 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve been a science fiction enthusiast since my teenage years. I believe I\u2019ve read every Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov science fiction novel available at the public library. To this day, I occasionally reminisce and indulge in reading one or more of my favorites from that genre. And yes,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nostalgia&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nostalgia","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=20"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/TH031724.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":745,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=745","url_meta":{"origin":14510,"position":3},"title":"Facebook and Politicians","author":"Tom Lind","date":"November 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"About a month ago I reported in this blog on the social media acumen of the currently seated City of Cincinnati Council members and the two mayoral candidates. The point was to demonstrate if those politicians were aware of the reach of social media, and were they inclined to use\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"WebPolitics","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/WebPolitics-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12064,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=12064","url_meta":{"origin":14510,"position":4},"title":"It\u2019s Not the Guns!","author":"Tom Lind","date":"June 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Every time there is a mass shooting incident in this country I brace myself. I know what is coming and I know I am going to get upset. I try to prepare myself but all the preparations I make do not seem to help. In the end, I am still\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/160619-orlando-vigil-ground_d11d4469eb01e1a719fc1d961083884a.nbcnews-fp-440-320.jpg?fit=880%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/160619-orlando-vigil-ground_d11d4469eb01e1a719fc1d961083884a.nbcnews-fp-440-320.jpg?fit=880%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/160619-orlando-vigil-ground_d11d4469eb01e1a719fc1d961083884a.nbcnews-fp-440-320.jpg?fit=880%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/160619-orlando-vigil-ground_d11d4469eb01e1a719fc1d961083884a.nbcnews-fp-440-320.jpg?fit=880%2C640&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":291,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=291","url_meta":{"origin":14510,"position":5},"title":"What Are You Giving For Christmas?","author":"Tom Lind","date":"December 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This time of the year is all about giving and getting. Many merchants are finally operating in the black and they get the gift of staying open for another year. Frequently you ask, or will be asked, \"what are you getting for Christmas this year?\" Depending on who you ask,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"What Are You Giving For Christmas?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/sadchristmas-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p38YRh-3M2","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14510"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14517,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14510\/revisions\/14517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}