WARREN PETERSEN: Finishing What Charlie Kirk Started

by Warren Petersen | Sep 29, 2025 | Opinion

By Sen. Warren Petersen |

There is a heavy sadness that has swept the nation. Society is grieving to a level not seen since the 1960s. Earlier this month, America suffered an unspeakable loss. Charlie Kirk was in the middle of doing what he loved, talking to college students about the traditional American values that have made this nation a beacon of hope for millions of people the past 250 years: God, family, and country. And then he was abruptly taken from us. Kirk was singular, indispensable, and irreplaceable. America will not be the same without him. It will take multitudes of people to fill the void.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025, will forever be noted in history as a dark day where evil in its truest form was on full display. Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood by a cowardly terrorist who sought to permanently silence someone he vehemently disagreed with. Americans across all political persuasions will always remember the moment in time they heard about the shooting on the campus of Utah Valley University and the flurry of information leading up to and past the time of Kirk’s passing.

I, for one, will never forget where I was or what I was doing when I heard the horrible news. I was filled with shock, disbelief, and heartbreak. The feeling was amplified by the like-minded voices of millions of individuals across the country who had in some way been influenced by him and felt a personal relationship.

It is no wonder so many people feel a heavy weight for the abrupt loss. His talent and intelligence were not easily parallelled. It is mind boggling what he accomplished in his short lifetime. As a teenager, he followed his dream to start a grassroots organization from his parents’ garage. He defied the odds and naysayers to grow Turning Point into a renowned international organization that would influence the course of American history across several elections.

Throughout his mission, Charlie Kirk became a trusted and influential confidant and advisor to several of our country’s leaders—most notably President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Despite his quick rise to fame and influence, however, Kirk never forgot his humble roots. He always had time for the young people who flocked to his organization, seeking to raise up an army of thoughtful, inspired men and women who would win back the values that made America into the greatest nation on our planet. They followed him, in part because he offered hope for a happy way to live.

Thanks to Kirk’s tireless and determined efforts, a marked change started happening with the youth. The current generation of Americans was bucking the trend of the woke indoctrination so prevalent in society. The left’s stranglehold on the youth across the nation was fading. For the first time in years the younger generation was trending more conservative. His efforts affected not only culture but politics, most notably the most recent presidential campaign, where Trump made a historic comeback. He was truly a public servant.

Charlie put others—and his nation—above himself. He loved the country that had given him the limitless opportunity to pursue his dreams, and he sought to make her a better place for his children and all those who would follow in his footsteps.

We know that full justice for Charlie will not happen in this lifetime. But we must seek as much justice as possible. That includes full prosecution of the assassin. But that is not enough. Kirk was targeted because he was influencing and changing the hearts and minds of millions of people, especially the youth. We must now take on the mantle and teach the traditional values of America to the youth. It will take thousands of people to compensate for Charlie’s immense talent. But justice demands it.

The pain in our hearts over this great loss reminds us to press forward and build our resolve to finish what Charlie has started. It is up to us to make sure his legacy continues. I think President Abraham Lincoln put it best when he said, “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is … for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14.