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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Arkansas Congressmen Score Flawlessly on Faith, Family, and Freedom

Family,

Arkansas’ four congressmen and two U.S. senators each earned a perfect score on a report card our friends at FRC Action in Washington, D.C. recently released.

FRC Action is the legislative affiliate of Family Research Council. The pro-life, pro-family organization works in Washington to educate and influence elected officials and to promote faith, family, and freedom across America.

FRC Action described its Voter Scorecard for 2024, saying, “This scorecard contains a compilation of significant votes on federal legislation affecting faith, family, and freedom that FRC Action either supported or opposed, as well as one cosponsorship that FRC Action opposed.”

The scorecard looked at where congressional delegates stood on 12 votes in the U.S. House of Representatives and four votes in the U.S. Senate. The legislation tracked on the scorecard dealt primarily with abortion, the right to life, bioethics, LGBT issues, and marijuana.

Arkansas’ Congressmen French Hill, Steve Womack, Rick Crawford, and Bruce Westerman and Arkansas’ U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton all received perfect 100% scores on the FRC Action Voter Scorecard.

For perspective, out of the 535 members of congress serving in the U.S. House and Senate, only 171 received perfect scores from FRC Action.

Arkansas is among the most conservative, pro-life, pro-family states in America, and our elected officials reflect that. Arkansans should be happy to know the congressmen and senators they sent to Washington voted well on these issues.

You can download FRC Action’s Voter Scorecard here.

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China’s Anti-Family Policies Contribute to Population Crisis

China, , ,

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal highlights how anti-family policies have contributed to China’s looming population crisis.

After decades of communist population control measures — including China’s “one-child policy” — the country now faces declining birthrates and an aging workforce.

Writing of one prominent city in China, The Wall Street Journal notes,

Once vibrating with energy, Fushun is a city slowly going to sleep. Most of its coal mines and refineries have closed. Half its young people have left. Its pension coffers are heavily in the red, with roughly a third of its population 60 or above.

Last year, only 5,541 babies were born in the city of 1.7 million. By comparison, Michigan’s Wayne County, which includes Detroit and has a similar-size population, logged more than 20,000 births.

Signs of aging are everywhere. Bus stops carry cemetery ads. Taxis advertise dental implants—$200 a tooth or $1,680 for “half a mouth.” . . .

In another decade, all of China will look more like this.

China’s population started shrinking in 2022 and births have been nosediving for several years. By 2035, China will mirror Fushun’s present, with 30% of Chinese 60 or older, based on U.N. population estimates. 

Fushun’s rise was built around a Communist Party growth playbook for state-led investment and a lid on births. Fushun was a star performer in both. Now, it epitomizes the economic and demographic strain all of China will confront. 

This is not the first time pundits have expressed concern over China’s declining population. In 2020, officials from the Chinese Communist Party said the China’s fertility rate was getting dangerously low, fewer couples marrying and starting families. Nearly two years ago, China’s National Bureau of Statistics released reports showing the country’s population had begun plummeting.

China is not the only country facing a population crisis. Most developed nations are as well — including, to a certain extent, Japan and the U.S. — but not to the same degree as China.

Without a growing population, it’s difficult for countries to maintain strong communities, a vibrant workforce, or a healthy economy. The Chinese Communist Party spent decades promoting the idea that having fewer children would be good for China, but that simply is not how society works.

Societies thrive off healthy, stable families. That’s part of the reason Family Council has spent more than 35 years promoting, protecting, and strengthening traditional family values in Arkansas. When families succeed, everyone benefits.

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

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