To the Editor:
As an educator who stands for teaching young people to live in peace, to be kind to their fellow humans, and to be globally accepting of all people, I am taken aback that an opinion blog post would highlight the kindness and humanity of such a controversial figure as Charlie Kirk, God rest his soul (“Why Charlie Kirk Was an Icon to So Many Boys,” Sept. 15, 2025).
Many people, depending on their profession and experience with him, found him neither kind nor humane but instead found themselves harassed and threatened, such as the professors placed on Turning Point USA’s “professor watchlist.” At a Turning Point USA event in 2023, Kirk said he thought gun deaths are “worth it” to have a Second Amendment. He claimed “Black America is poorer, more murderous, more dangerous” than when living under Jim Crow.
I’m honestly disappointed, since he was so divisive.
Alison McLean
Teacher
Charlotte, N.C.
