Like all Utahns, my heart aches over the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. He came to our state with nothing more than his voice. He wasn’t an elected official with power. He wasn’t wealthy with influence to buy. His strength was in speaking, in challenging us to think. That voice was silenced in a place I have always believed was safe: in Utah, near my own home.
But as heartbreaking as this moment is, it must also serve as a reminder of something larger: the coarsening of our public discourse and the dangers of contempt. We live in a time when too many conversations turn into conflicts, when disagreement too easily slips into disdain.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned us long ago: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” His words ring with urgency today.
President Russell M. Nelson recently wrote that every person has “inherent worth and dignity” as a child of God, and that “anger never persuades, hostility never heals, and contention never leads to lasting solutions.” His call for more dignity and respect, for peacemakers who build bridges of understanding rather than walls of prejudice, is exactly what America needs now.
This is not just lofty rhetoric. It is practical. It begins in our homes, with how we speak to our spouses, children, and neighbors. It extends to how we engage in our communities, our workplaces, and in politics. If we want a stronger, freer America, it must be built on mutual respect and genuine accountability, not on contempt or cruelty.
We can disagree passionately. We can debate fiercely. But we must never lose sight of the humanity of those across the table or across the aisle. When we do, we lose more than civility; we lose the very fabric of our democracy.
Let Charlie’s death be a tragic reminder of what is at stake. Let it move us not toward more division, but toward light. Repair a broken relationship. Reach out in kindness. Choose respect over ridicule, dignity over disdain.
If we each take one small step in that direction, together we can make America better, and more united.
I believe it starts with each of us and most important, it starts with me.