SHAWANO, WI- The assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has sparked strong emotions nationwide, including here in Shawano County, where leaders from both parties are weighing in.
Jan Koch, chair of the Democratic Party of Shawano and Menominee counties, said her first reaction was sympathy for Kirk’s family. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and close people,” she said. “There’s no place in our country for political violence. If we disagree, we should be having conversations, that’s what you do in a democracy.”
Republican Party chair Richard Kucksdorf echoed the call for peaceful dialogue but also defended Kirk’s reputation. “Charlie Kirk was not a hateful person, and he was not mean,” Kucksdorf said. “He simply asked questions to create debate. He went to college campuses to have those debates. That was it.”
Koch drew a connection between the violence that claimed Kirk’s life and the hate that drove the 9/11 attacks, which marked its 24th anniversary this week. “Back then, Democrats and Republicans came together as one nation,” she said. “We need to combat hate with love, love for the downtrodden, love for the LGBTQ community, love for everybody.”
Kucksdorf, meanwhile, pointed to Kirk’s conservative stances as central to his voice in American politics. “He was very pro-life, and he was against what’s happening in schools with LGBTQ grooming,” he said. “People may not have liked those positions, but he was not vengeful. He simply wanted debate.”
While Koch emphasized unity and compassion. “We need to replace hate with love,” Kucksdorf emphasized legacy. “He was a family man with two children who accomplished so much in a short time,” he said. “His voice will be missed, and the best way to honor him is by continuing to defend free speech, one of our founding principles.”
Despite different emphases, both leaders agreed that political violence has no place in America’s future.
Click Below For Comments From Richard Kucksdorf and Jan Koch
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