Facing Out: The Week’s Most Interesting News
September 13, 2025
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
There is a passage commonly attributed to French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, who visited our shores 194 years ago seeking to learn what he could about the nascent nation on the other side of the Atlantic: “America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
de Tocqueville’s words, if they are, in fact, de Tocqueville’s, have become part of our collective perception of this nation’s origin. Was the new country perfect? Of course not. For starters, the stain of slavery would persist for another three decades. But we imagine that de Tocqueville saw us as we like to see ourselves — a people of noble intent, compelled to strive for the common good, protective of one another, firm in faith and love of country.
How does the image hold up today?
We do not yet know conclusively what motivated an assassin in Utah to target Charlie Kirk, a charismatic young conservative who built an enormous following and was a force in politics for his ability to draw youthful participants and his willingness to debate anyone with an opposing point of view. Those who rushed to assign blame before the facts were known missed the point entirely. Kirk was a 31-year-old husband and father of two toddlers, a man with passion and a gift for persuasion who believed in engagement and debate. It is appalling that anyone could believe there was any justification for slaughtering him, or for the wave of political violence in recent years that has targeted prominent figures from both major parties.
Kirk was murdered on September 10, the day before the 24th anniversary of one of the most heartbreaking days in American history, but also a day that brought us together in grief, mourning and resolve. The two events, though obviously different in scale, are searing reminders that hate and political violence are anathema to everything a free society should embrace.
The organization Kirk co-founded at 18 is called Turning Point USA, a tragically ironic name that feels more accurate today than ever. This is a turning point — do we turn toward even more political violence, or do we link arms, stare into the eyes of evil and say, Enough!
This is a time for calm reflection, not still more heated rhetoric and declarations of war. Too many have forgotten the bonds of affection that unite us. It feels like the rope is fraying. It’s up to all of us to hold it together. We cannot afford to find out what happens if America ever ceases to be good.
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