Carla Pugliese
Tanisha Blanche
By Dan Murphy
I would argue that many of our readers had never watched a video of Charlie Kirk until he was killed last week.
On September 10, 2025, Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a TPUSA public debate event on the Utah Valley University campus, in front of 3,000 people, including his wife and two young children.
He co-founded the conservative organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012 and was its executive director.
Kirk was a champion of the First Amendment, Freedom of Speech, and his Christian beliefs. And he made a name for himself by going onto these liberal colleges and universities and having conversations with students, most of whom did not agree at all with his views. And that is the way he wanted it. If you disagree with me, come to the front of the line, he would say.
His work in 2024 to register young people and get them to vote was part of the reason President Donald Trump was reelected.
While some of us mourn Kirk’s death, we must also respect the First Amendment rights of those who disagreed with him and can’t understand why he has become a beloved figure in American history.
But Kirk’s death has affected so many Americans, dare I say the majority of Americans, that some are pushing back at the outrageous comments and posts that some are making about a young man who just died in front of the world for expressing his views.
And in today’s social media age, the urge to post whatever comes to mind takes over for some. However, there are limits to free Speech if you are a public servant. The public you serve is watching you and reading your comments. And if those comments are deemed over the top and inconsiderate, you are called out in the same public square that killed Charles Kirk.
Why did the New York Yankees and most of the NFL Football teams hold a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk? The response to his death has been so great that those who can’t understand it should take the time to learn why.
Two examples in Westchester warrant being called out for their insensitivity.
Many of you may have already read about Somers High School resource officer Tanisha Blanche, who posted after Kirk’s death, “Why yall don’t have that same energy for the school shooting that took place yesterday, but yall crying over the man that was OK with gun violence” and “well that white sniper was over qualified when he put that hole in your neck hunni bunni.”
Somers Schools Superintendent Dr. Adam Bronstein correctly called out Blanche, stating, “The nature of the posts glorifies violence, which is completely unacceptable for someone entrusted with the safety of students and staff members,” adding, “school safety is our most sacred and important obligation. The Westchester County Police Department has affirmed that another SRO will be assigned to our schools, and I am in touch directly with the police to ensure the safety and continuity of our SRO program going forward.”
Blanche will not be fired for her comments, but was moved to desk duty at the County Police Headquarters in Hawthorne. School Resource Officers (SROs) were formed in the aftermath of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and are under the authority and supervision of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.
The second outrageous comment about Charlie Kirk has not been highlighted or discussed yet. This takes us to Rye, and the Rye Town Tax Receiver Carla Pugliese.
After Kirk’s killing, Pugliese posted, “The fact that Trump is putting the flag at half staff for a white supremacist and never once lowered it for murdered school children tells you everything you need to know.”
Several Rye Town residents questioned Pugliese’s comments. One post said, “How does the tax receiver for the village of Port Chester think it’s OK to post this vile statement? Again, another hateful, vile post against a man of God. When does the hate end? How many people have to be assassinated? How do you hold a position of trust in our government and post this crap?”
Resident Linda Turturino said, “I have strong feelings about the difference between freedom of speech and hate speech. And as a Town official, you are held to a higher standard. If you have those feelings, you shouldn’t post them; you should keep them to yourself.
Resident Bart Didden said, “That person is in an appointed position and needs to go. As a taxpayer, how do you make the jump from an assassination to then talk about Trump? There is a double standard. If Kirk were out there being a liberal activist, there would be rioting in the streets. We are just mourning. She (Pugliese) is on the ballot in November. She should be removed from her position at the meeting this week. I think public officials have a higher standard to meet. When you are a public official, you don’t have a private page.”
We leave you with two thoughts. From Journalist Mark Halperin. “It’s hard to think of anyone 31 years old in the United States who’s had the kind of meaningful achievement that Charlie Kirk had, of getting young people in particular into the political system.
“First of all, they don’t understand what Charlie achieved. Even now, even as it’s been covered since his murder, they still don’t get it. They still don’t understand what made him so different. And I think it’s so important that the left understand.
“They need to appreciate why people on the right are so upset. The only reason Charlie succeeded at nearly everything he tried was due to his extraordinary gifts, determination, and faith. They don’t see Charlie as anything but some Trump flunky. They do not see what he achieved, nor do they see the symbolism.
“But I ask again for people on the left to understand what the death, the murder, the assassination of Charlie Kirk means, not just to prominent Republicans, but to rank-and-file people around the country. It’s not just the loss of a leader, a friend, or someone with a degree of success. It’s the elimination of someone who demonstrated not just that he could overcome all these biases, but that he could thrive and start to change the system to set an example.
“As I traveled around the country in 2024, going to Trump events and meeting people
who supported President Trump, often events that Charlie was at or his organization, Turning Point, was involved in. I saw a different kind of young conservative than I’d seen during my career. Not shy, not afraid, willing to go publicly to a rally, to be on social media, to be visible on campus.
“Charlie said, “I’m going to come to your campus. I’m going to take on all comers. I’m going to take questions. I am going to celebrate the free exchange of ideas.
“In some ways, there couldn’t be anybody worse to have assassinated, truly, because he was killed doing the thing that was the most resonant, the most symbolically resonant for young people.
“And I ask people on the left, take a moment and think about why this means so much to people on the right. Please take a moment to understand the murder of Charlie Kirk and how it is seen and felt.
“And with the rise of digital technology and with the rise of the grassroots MAGA movement
and with the advent as a miracle of the singular soul of Charlie Kirk, this is a big moment in American history, where someone who did what should have been impossible, made it possible, was killed,” said Halperin on his NextUp show.
At Kirk’s memorial, Robert F. Kennedy Jr said, “My 17-year-old niece left for Europe to go to college, my daughter-in-law noticed that she had put a Bible in her suitcase. And she was curious about it. And she asked her, and Zoe said to her, “I want to live like Charlie Kirk.”
There are millions and millions of kids around the country who he inspired who now want to live like Charlie Kirk, and that’s a great thing for our country. He ended up being the primary architect of my unification with President Trump.
However, the overarching mission of Charlie Kirk was not just Jesus, but also free Speech, and he saw them as intertwined. He believed that conversation was the only way to heal our country. That we had to learn to talk to each other without vitriol, without poison, without anger. We had to be able to listen to ideas. We had to be able to say what we meant without being mean and to communicate with each other across this divide. It’s the only way to end the polarization that’s driven by these algorithms and all the other forces in our society.
And Charlie, more than any figure in our country, led the resistance that has restored freedom of Speech to this country. His love of family, his love of God, his love of freedom of Speech, his reverence for this country, and his belief that we are an exemplary nation,” said Kennedy.
The civilized way for our elected officials who disagreed with Kirk, to react to his death, can be found in the comments of Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, who said, “Violence has no place in our Democracy, and we must stand united in condemning political violence wherever it occurs. No one should ever be targeted for their beliefs or for participating in public discourse. My thoughts are with the Kirk family and all those grieving.”
And Congressman George Latimer, who said, “Political violence has no place in our country, and we must all unequivocally condemn the killing of Charlie Kirk. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and friends.
Christine Sculti, the republican candidate for County Executive in November, posted, “Ken Jenkins has to answer for this.” We don’t agree.
And the quote, “If you don’t have anything nice to say,” is attributed to Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. She said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit next to me.”
The Disney movie Bambi made the phrase, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything,” famous.
And one more movie reference that is appropriate. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi said, “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
Amen and God Bless Charlie Kirk.
