The Sept. 10 assassination of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, has led to shock across Tufts’ campus, along with reconsiderations of political discourse within the university.
Junior Charley Ota, the president of Tufts Republicans, explained contrasting reactions within the club to the killing.
“We were, as a club, pretty shocked by the event. It was like a mixed reaction. Some were more like, okay, we’ve got to unite. Some were just kind of a little bit angry about what’s happening,” Ota commented.
Sophomore David Seaton, the president of Tufts Democrats, spoke about the urgency of condemning political violence, no matter how opposed the political views.
“I was trying to do everything I could to condemn what [Kirk] had to say, but I don’t believe he should have been silenced, and I don’t believe that the political violence is an acceptable way of silencing anyone,” Seaton said.
Seaton also communicated fears that President Donald Trump’s administration is using Kirk’s assassination as a means to target Democrats.
“For Trump to come out the day after the shooting and say that this is something that the left has to bear the consequences of is such a telltale sign that he’s gonna use this as an excuse to crack down on left-wing political beliefs,” Seaton said.
Seaton further spoke about the importance of reaching across the aisle to engage in open discourse following a potentially divisive event.
“In this moment, there’s so much animus on both sides,” he said. “I want to make sure that this community, this Tufts community, is a campus that makes it clear to the country that young people across the board stand for having discussions about our disagreements, not resolving those disagreements with violence.”
Ota echoed Seaton’s statements about interaction across the political spectrum.
“I think it’s really important to have that interaction, because you need to learn that there’s humanity on the other side,” Ota said.
Ota stated that the hate speech he has seen on media platforms runs counter to Christian values.
“I do believe that the people who are calling for violence and war, many of them call themselves Christians, and I don’t understand how you can call for violence against the enemy if you’re a Christian, because the basis of Christian thought is, in my view, that you pray for your enemies,” Ota said.
However, Ota added that he still believes that Republicans should be firm in their beliefs.
“One of the mantras of Turning Point USA was, ‘If you disagree with me, come to the front of the line,’” Ota said. “But [Kirk] wouldn’t give way to their beliefs. He would stand firm in his beliefs. And in the past, I’ve definitely given way to my beliefs. So I want to also make a point of not necessarily backing down, but having conversation.”
Deborah Schildkraut, a professor of political science, explained that while political violence may seem to be at an all time high, Kirk’s assasination reflects a larger pattern.
“For most Americans alive today, it feels like [political violence] is suddenly happening faster and more often,” Schildkraut said. “It’s easy to either forget, or many Americans don’t know, that there have been lots of episodes of political violence in this country.”
Jessica Byrnes, senior communications manager at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, spoke on awareness in how people engage politically despite differences of opinion, specifically from the perspective of security.
“We’re thinking really deeply about how we can stay true to our mission and the importance of civic engagement, and emphasizing that everyone has a new voice and an important perspective to share,” Byrnes said. “While also realizing that there are a lot of people who are not in a position [to] feel that they can safely share that opinion or perspective.”
Yolanda Smith, chief of the Tufts University Police Department, wrote to the Daily about her team’s commitment to maintaining a safe campus.
“We do not disclose our security arrangements for public safety reasons,” Smith wrote. “However, I can assure our community that we deploy the personnel and resources needed to keep our campuses safe and secure. But campus safety is everyone’s responsibility, so we do encourage and ask our community members to be vigilant, remain aware, and notify us if they have [seen] something that causes concern.”
Dayna Cunningham, dean of Tisch College, wrote to the Daily about how challenges within the current political climate can inspire growth.
“Today, and not for the first time in our nation’s history, we are experiencing real challenges to our democracy—extreme polarization, misinformation, and even political violence. We need events and discussions to bring us together and to foster curiosity and connection. Even when they are challenging,” Cunningham wrote.
