Charlie Kirk’s Assassination is Proof We’re Being Overwhelmed

Items are displayed in the makeshift memorial for Charlie Kirk outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, in Phoenix. Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at an event for his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University. (PC: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/TNS)

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, it is hard to decipher what to feel, what to think, how to react, or what to expect next. No matter what anyone feels in particular, it’s hard to navigate the immediate response, people don’t know how to go about any interaction.

Something of this caliber covers every form of media we consume. It is easy to feel like every single person has super strong feelings and opinions on the matter. We feel the need to walk on eggshells in every conversation or with every post we make. We wait to hear the slightest shift in tone from our professors, peers, friends, families, and even coworkers.

I wanted to get an idea of how Elmhurst students are feeling in general. To know what we’re thinking about, and what we anticipate to follow in the next coming months.

To further the idea of “walking on eggshells”, not a single student wanted to have their name disclosed in this piece. I mean, in today’s media-scape there’s this overwhelming feeling of mistrust between those providing words and those publishing them. I can’t blame them. Particularly because of the unethical ‘journalism’ we see on a daily basis, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

No matter the student’s race, gender, sexuality, or any other descriptor, they were all overwhelmingly afraid. They are afraid of conflict escalating into chaos. They are afraid of our government falling, collapsing, or some other synonym. But most of all they are afraid of us, as the people, losing our voice.

“Like, they could literally put laws in to keep us from talking badly about certain people in the government,” one student said.

Another student remarked, “I’m just scared to see if things get even worse. It’s super hard to talk to anyone about any politics right now, I just don’t want it to get any worse. It probably will, though.”

Whether it be through the legal process of editing amendments, being “cancelled” as a form of punishment, losing jobs for simply commenting on the actions of the sitting president, or even being murdered for voicing their beliefs.

Not that it’s out of character for Gen Z to be afraid of the future. We did grow up being told repeatedly that the world was going to end at any moment, but it feels that now more than ever, Gen Z is starting to really believe that we are doomed to this pitiful demise.

Even a professor I spoke with, off the record, hinted at this same worry. Referencing the immense possibilities of “history,” they claimed that there is some validity to this fear.

Obviously there is, especially when all we see on a daily basis is clickbait in the form of extreme acts of violence, extreme opinions, and extreme accusations. Nearly everything in the news today is about extremists, extreme opinions or extreme actions.

Political science professor Scott Braam echoes these beliefs. The constant tsunami of information hitting us, combined with increased political division, creates a recipe for news inundation.

“In 2025, everything is something… Even little things can take over the news cycle for an hour or two,” said Braam.

Students felt similarly, highlighting how so many news stories feel important in the moment, but end up feeling nearly inconsequential.

“I don’t know, honestly. It could blow over like all of the other shootings and murders within a week,” one student said.

Mainstream news and political leaders are going to try and divide us to their end. Braam commented on the ever-increasing division between right and left.

“When the President of the United States comes out and blames someone right away,” Braam said.

“They’re saying, ‘our hero got shot and the left did it.’” Braam continues, “[Kirk] had a big following and now they know who to blame.”

The divide being created is too great to ignore.

One student remarked, “I expect people to feel more separated from each other.”

I think it’s extremely important for us to remember that we can turn the news off, and give ourselves time to work on treating each other with kindness, listening to one another, and having productive conversations about serious issues to gain a better understanding. That’s the only way to soften the sharp edge of that fear. Our words are powerful, use them wisely.