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The Young Republicans of Chambers County held their vigil for Charlie Kirk Sunday at the Valley Community Center in the sportsplex. The event was attended by many, with notable figures from the community attending.

The event started with a musical devotional, setting the tone for the vigil. When the music stopped, the message began. The vigil’s primary message revolved around Kirk’s legacy of family, faith and nonviolent civic engagement through free speech.

The crowd was joined by three Turning Point USA (TPUSA) representatives from different campuses. Southern Union State Community College, Troy University and Auburn University were represented during the vigil, with speakers from all three chapters.

The first to speak was Parker Fuller, president of the Southern Union chapter of TPUSA. During his address he highlighted Kirk’s persistence in the face of adversity and called for others to be steadfast in their faith. Fuller spoke of Kirk’s tenets of “Faith, Family and Country” detailing that Kirk’s teachings advocated for large-scale change that starts at the dinner table. 

Fuller proclaimed that the need for faith is greater now than ever. “We need to come together as a country again and make God and his love our number one priority,” Fuller said. 

Caitlyn Harris, president of the Troy chapter of TPUSA spoke next. Harris described her decision to start the chapter with her friend as “two girls with a dream and a whole lot of faith, standing together against the world to defend these truths that we hold.” She cites Kirk’s influence as being the primary reason for her decision to take on the challenges associated with defending one’s beliefs.

Harris’s speech touched on actions that would allow the chapter to practice their faith and defend their beliefs with the same intensity and thoughtfulness as Kirk. She outlined three tenets that would allow others to live out Kirk’s legacy: continuing without fear, holding fast to the faith and knowing why one believes the way they do. 

Jacob Roose, president of TPUSA’s Auburn chapter, started his address by describing why Kirk began the organization 13 years ago. He stated that TPUSA’s priority is to help identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government. 

Roose highlighted Kirk’s dedication to the first amendment and his belief in having open discussions despite the differences of opinion he may have had with those he spoke with on college campuses. He framed these civil discussions as a necessary mechanism to “keep our republic going strong.” 

Kirk was a proponent of open dialogue in the face of opposition. Roose emphasized the importance of keeping dialogue civil and remaining peaceful in the face of hostility. He went on to describe several active programs at Auburn University with emphasis on controversial topics such as foreign affairs, abortion and second amendment activism. 

Roose used his opportunity on stage to welcome everyone to these events attempting to promote engagement with the chapter. The final message in his address was a call to action for the audience: “I encourage you to fulfill your American duty, just as Charlie did, and just as he encouraged us to do in our daily lives,” Roose said. “Share your ideas, practice your faith, go hit the range, go vote, be an American.”

The last speaker was Kevin Anglin, pastor at Fairfax First Baptist Church. He gave a sermon to the crowd. During his sermon, he spoke of the uptick in young men coming back to the church after Kirk’s assassination. Anglin likened Kirk to a martyr, when he stated  that “the blood of martyrs waters the seeds of revival” implying that Kirk’s assassination is responsible for what he described as the “rumblings of revival.”

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