Remembering Charlie Kirk

In Memoriam,

There are certain people whose lives leave an indelible mark on the world and when tragedy strikes, their voice is looked to for comfort and answers. Charlie Kirk was one of those voices, but on September 10, his voice was no longer there. The tragic assassination of the 31 year old conservative activist, author, speaker, husband, father, and Christian has left us shocked, grieving, and wondering what to do next amidst such evil. We cannot comprehend the heinous act and grieve for his family and Turning Point USA staff. 

I first heard of Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA many years ago as they began growing traction on the national stage alongside their online presence. Turning Point USA, the organization he helped start and lead, promotes free speech and conservative values on school campuses — including schools in Arkansas. I first met a TPUSA state director over four years ago and was very impressed by the thoroughness of his work. He went from campus to campus in Arkansas, leading and encouraging Turning Point groups, and he put great effort toward investing in young people all across the state. 

In 2021, I was invited to speak at a TPUSA event at Ecclesia College in Northwest Arkansas and met dear friends that night. There again I realized how important the impact TPUSA was having on my state and the United States. I saw it as a countercultural movement that spoke truth into the next generation. That was who Charlie Kirk was. And that is why his loss hits so hard. 

Another impact point for Arkansas is in 2017, our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on behalf of a local Turning Point USA student chapter against Arkansas State University in Jonesboro after the university tried to restrict free speech on campus to sanctioned “free speech” zones. The university’s policy at the time reportedly restricted free speech to 1% of its campus.

The lawsuit prompted the Arkansas Legislature to pass Act 184 of 2019 — the FORUM Act — preventing public colleges and universities from infringing on the free speech of students and faculty on campus. Family Council was pleased to support that good law, but it might never have passed if Turning Point USA hadn’t taken a stand for free speech on campus.

The impact of Turning Point was due to its leader and the truth that he held onto. Charlie was a man of deep faith and he was outspoken about it. Not only that, he practiced his faith, leading his family by example. He led a nationwide movement that reached into the grassroots and impacted hearts and minds. We may never know the extent of his influence on this side of Heaven. But the great thing about Charlie is that he had his priorities straight. Charlie believed that God, family, and country, in that order, were of utmost importance. He fought for them, he lived for them, and in the end, he gave his life for them. We will never forget his life and the impact he made. 

What are Christians to do when faced with such a tragic event, the loss of a voice like Charlie’s, and the fear to speak truth in the public square? It can be tempting to shut the door and hide away. I thank God that this movement and the church aren’t made up of people who back down when faced with evil. We face challenges head-on and continue to speak the truth into a violent and hostile world because Christ is our example and beckoning guide, and the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before are cheering us on. 

Charlie Kirk’s murder is a heartbreaking tragedy. I ask all of you to join our team in praying for Charlie’s family and our nation. 

Erin Hogan serves as Director of Government Relations for Family Council.

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Small Business Administration to Lenders: Stop Debanking

Religious Freedom, ,

The Small Business Administration recently sent a letter to 5,000 lenders instructing them to end politicized debanking. Lenders who fail to do so will “lose their good standing” with the SBA and will be subject to additional punitive measures.

Since 2021, congressional testimony and news stories have highlighted how federal officials and financial institutions targeted conservative organizations through “reputational risk” policies. Conservatives deemed “high risk” could have their bank accounts closed without warning and without explanation.

During the Biden Administration, the federal Treasury Department gave banks and financial institutions an analysis titled “Bankrolling Bigotry” that listed legitimate, conservative groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom, the American College of Pediatricians, American Family Association, Eagle Forum, Family Research Council, Liberty Counsel, National Organization for Marriage, and the Ruth Institute as “Hate Groups” alongside the KKK and the American Nazi Party.

The “Bankrolling Bigotry” analysis also outlines ideas on policies and laws aimed at preventing these groups from fundraising. Officials from the Treasury Department distributed this document to banks and financial institutions in January of 2021, calling it an “overview on the funding of American hate groups.”

We also now know the U.S. Treasury Department gave banks and other financial institutions guiding “typologies” — patterns they could use to identify suspicious people or activities — the included search terms and patterns like “TRUMP” and “MAGA.”

The department encouraged financial institutions to comb through transactions for terms like, “Bass Pro Shops,” “Cabela’s,” and “Dick’s Sporting Goods” when looking for “Homegrown Violent Extremism.”

These problems went largely unreported until congress began asking serious questions about debanking.

In recent years, corporate shareholders, state attorneys general, congressmen, federal investigators, and news outlets all have expressed concerns over conservatives being wrongly debanked.

In 2021 Family Council’s credit card processor terminated our account after designating our organization as “high risk.”

At 10:29 AM on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, our office received a terse email from our credit card processor — a company owned by JPMorgan Chase — saying, “Unfortunately, we can no longer support your business. We wish you all the luck in the future, and hope that you find a processor that better fits your payment processing needs.”

Within sixty seconds, our account was terminated and Family Council could no longer accept donations online. The company never explained why we were labeled “high risk.” All we could do was speculate that our conservative principles and our public policy work might have had something to do with the decision.

In 2022, Chase abruptly closed Ambassador Sam Brownback’s bank account for the National Committee for Religious Freedom with little warning or explanation, and PayPal similarly disabled the account of a group called the Free Speech Union.

Stories like these are part of the reason President Trump recently signed an executive order against debanking. The purpose of the order is to guarantee fair banking for all Americans. The Small Business Administration’s new directive tracks with that executive order.

To their credit, JPMorgan Chase has taken steps to prevent religiously-motivated debanking, and Bank of America has finally done the same. That’s a good thing, but more still needs to be done to prevent debanking in the future.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Texas Pushes Back on Mail-Order Abortion Pills

Abortion, , ,

Last week lawmakers in Texas passed legislation letting people sue abortionists who mail abortion drugs into the state. The measure is similar to steps Arkansas and other pro-life states have taken to prevent abortion drugs from being shipped across state lines.

Since 2022, Arkansas has generally prohibited abortion except to save the life of the mother, and state law prohibits abortion drugs from being mailed or delivered in the state. Abortionists who break the law are subject to criminal penalties. They may be sued for malpractice, and they face professional discipline — like suspension of their medical licenses.

However, news outlets have reported that pro-abortion states are enacting “shield laws” to protect abortionists who ship abortion drugs across the country.

If an abortionist in one of these states mails abortion drugs to Arkansas or Texas, the state’s “shield law” prevents the abortionist from being prosecuted. Groups like Planned Parenthood are also spending millions of dollars to promote abortion to women from pro-life states like Arkansas. That’s a serious problem.

Attorney General Tim Griffin has sent cease-and-desist letters to companies advertising abortion drugs in Arkansas, and he has notified the companies that they may be penalized under the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act. He has also urged the federal government to restrict abortion drugs and let states like Arkansas enforce their pro-life laws.

Abortion drugs don’t just end the lives of unborn children. They also carry serious health risks for women.

A recent study by the experts at the Ethics and Public Policy Center shows abortion drugs are at least 22 times more dangerous than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration labeling indicates.

Researchers found that from 2017 to 2023, nearly one in nine women suffered serious health complications like sepsis, infection, and hemorrhaging as a direct result of abortion drugs.

It’s worth pointing out that public opinion polling shows Arkansans oppose abortion, and there is evidence that children are alive today because Arkansas has prohibited abortion. The state’s pro-life laws are saving lives, but it’s important to make sure abortion drugs aren’t illegally shipped into Arkansas — or any other state, for that matter. Abortion drugs are dangerous. They simply should not be for sale in America.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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