Charlie’s Ultimate Victory; Wins Final Debate
My wife and I sat in the back of an Uber headed to our hotel room in Washington, D.C. for the Fall NOVA Conference when we got word that Charlie had been shot. My stomach sank. I know hers did, too. While Charlie wasn’t a Veteran, he damn sure appreciated every single one of you that have taken up arms in defense of the Country he loved—the Country we all love. Charlie leaves behind a wife, beautiful young children, a business he built from the ground up, and so much more. More than anything, he leaves behind a legacy that tells us something—it tells us that this is the greatest damn Country this side of Heaven, and its still worth fighting for it.
Why Charlie?
Charlie took advantage of everything America has to offer. He cherished the fact that because of so many Veterans, like yourself, he was free to travel this great Country, meeting so many fellow Americans, and engaging in free and open debate. Something that would not be possible without the work each and every Veteran. Next year will mark 250 years of those willing to defend this Country in exchange for free and open debate. Then, you have those celebrating the death of a fellow American, a father, a husband. One one hand, I am happy to see so many in the news filled with hate fired from their post for comments they have made about Charlie. On the other hand, as my wise wife pointed out, is that really what Charlie stood for? I think she is right. Above everything, Charlie stood for free speech, open debate, and civil conversations. Still, I am left asking myself, why Charlie? So young, so full of life, and so full of love for this Country, regardless of whether you agreed with him, he was an American who loved the Country.
The only thing I have been able to come up with is his effectiveness. He was too effective at destroying the narrative that our Country is not the greatest place on Earth, and that really eats away at some folks. To me, that is both profound and heartbreaking. The profound part, at least to me, is just how thirsty this Country is for basic American values—like free and open debate. His crowds proved it. Let’s face it, most college campuses aren’t filled with nerds wanting to show up for the debate team. Yet, Charlie was able to draw thousands doing just that, showing up and debating. Not just topics, but ideas, deep theories on which method of government works best, and why the American experiment has always been and will always be the best. You can hardly get college kids to show up for a class required for graduation, let alone a debate on deep philosophical topics. Yet, Charlie did it. Not only did he draw massive crowds, he got people energized, excited to engage in an open dialogue. Whether you agreed with him politically or not, I could care less, but it is difficult to deny he was an effective force of nature.
Then there is the heartbreaking part. Those who think America isn’t the greatest, that we should silence free and open debate we disagree with. Now, the more I write, the more I find myself thinking that all those firings (cough, cough, Jimmy Kimmel) probably aren’t the right way to honor someone who stood for free speech above all. I digress. Of the 195 countries this planet has to offer, I can’t think of one better than the good ole USA. Nor can I think of a country worth defending more. Which is why it is so heartbreaking that we need those types of reminders. In my little universe, I get to see every day the price for freedom, through the eyes of the people I am privileged to represent. Nothing makes me more proud of this Nation than to see average people doing extraordinary things. I see it every day by reading the stories of so many great Veterans seeking benefits they are owed. How could you not love this Country? Room for improvement? You bet. That is the humanity. We can always do better. As a Christian. As a father. As a husband. As a community. As a Nation. We can always do better. But, to say you don’t absolutely love this Country and don’t think it is the best thing since sliced bread? I can’t get behind that and never will be able to.
What Now?
What now? That’s a good question. Frankly, I don’t know. What I do know is it is time to honor the legacy of someone who believed in the ideals and greatness of America. It is probably also time to tone down the rhetoric, on both sides. Actually, it is far past time. The second we try to silence those we disagree with for peacefully engaging in open debate, we are right back to April 12, 1861. Brother against brother. Family against family. Friend against friend. A people against it’s own self. That goes for both sides. Left and right. We must be able to hear people openly and decide what we do and do not agree with. Anything less is not American and something we cannot accept as Americans.
How I Know Charlie Won
More than anything, Charlie won in the end because he lives on. As a born-again Christian, he never died, not even for a second. But, more importantly, Charlie won in the end because he proved his point. The American way cannot be defeated with words. You cannot “out debate” someone opposing American ideals and values. You will never win that debate, because nothing is better, or ever will be better, than America. Maybe Robinson should read up on the Age of Enlightenment.
Charlie lived the American Dream and embodied what is best about this Country (notice the present tense). Because America lives on, Charlie lives on, he lives forever.
As I began my story, my wife and I were in Washington, D.C. We were enjoying so much of what free speech has to offer Robinson would be nauseous. We were enjoying so much of what America and those who defend it have made possible. When speech ends, violence begins.
Godspeed.
