The Life and Impact of Charlie Kirk -- and What It Means for Us

By Giovanni Triana, a former Turning Point USA Chapter President at East Carolina University and current business leader, who now lives in the Charlotte area.

A Nation in Mourning

Last week was a nightmare: Charlotte in mourning, a nation in shock, the world shaken by the loss of a great American Hero. When a voice powerful enough to move millions is silenced, the echo is felt everywhere.

Iryna’s murder on the light rail broke our hearts. And then Charlie Kirk -- a husband, father, friend, and one of the most courageous truth-tellers of our time -- was assassinated and broadcast on national television. A warning shot heard around the world telling us to shut up, sit down and obey.

People say the truth will set you free. But for Charlie, telling the truth cost him his life. And that ugly truth should shake us to our core-- because this fight is bigger than Charlotte, bigger than politics.

Charlie wasn’t killed because he held certain beliefs. He was killed because he was effective. Because his words cut through lies like a sword. Because he spoke to the soul of America, and people listened.

It is about the battle for our minds and the future of our souls. A battle between good and evil.

We thought we were immune, isolated from adversity. That history’s chaos was in the past. But the wars of our forefathers never ceased, they just evolved. And the spiritual war continued.

The forces of darkness crept into our daily lives -- into our minds, our hearts, and our homes.

A Broken Society

 These tragedies are symptoms of a sickness that runs deep in our society. Fifteen years ago, Charlotte was not like this. America was not like this.

We have become overstimulated, distracted, and numb. We wake to global tragedy, work through chaos, and fall asleep scrolling through doom. Our nervous systems were never designed for this, so we shut down. But when we turn away, evil takes root.

Words matter.

The weaponization of dangerous rhetoric, political correctness, cancel culture and identity politics has led to social pressure to control our speech -- and by controlling speech, you control thought. If we can be convinced that violence is “justice” and truth is “hate,” then we will be programmed to accept lies, normalize crime, and hide corruption.

This is what Charlie refused to accept. He spoke truth clearly and confidently. He challenged the system.

We cannot let society continue like this. But this isn’t about an impersonal society out there. It’s about the fight inside each of us -- I know, because I lived it.

My Turning Point

I wasn’t born with courage.

My parents divorced when I was young. With no father figure, I drifted. By college, I was failing. I was angry and lost, ready to throw my life away.

Maybe you’ve felt that too — hopeless with no purpose or direction. But God’s grace found me. I gave my life back to Jesus and I began to rebuild. Around that same time, I discovered Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA.

It gave me direction at a time when I was drifting.

I joined the campus chapter at East Carolina, became president, and entered student government. I fought to abolish restrictive “free speech zones,” to defend free expression, and to challenge the intimidation tactics I saw on campus. I experienced firsthand the ridicule and hostility aimed at anyone who dared to stand for freedom. It wasn’t debate—it was an attempt to silence us.

But we kept going. We sparked national conversations that inspired students to speak up, and it even influenced state policy. For the first time, I believed I could make a difference. Turning Point was more than an organization -- it was a lifeline. It taught me that freedom was worth fighting for, that faith and family mattered, and that one voice could make a difference.

Eventually, I left politics to focus on building my business.

For five years, I focused on building stability. COVID exposed just how fragile our world was, and today I still believe the only way to survive the storm is to eliminate distractions and build wealth.

But Charlie’s death reignited the fire inside me. Watching my friend’s life stolen on national television broke me—but it also reminded me that this fight is not optional. Freedom is not free.

That day, the veil was torn. The battle I thought I had left behind was back, knocking at my door. I didn’t have the choice to stay silent anymore. None of us do.

It’s time to take a stand for what is right. And that means putting it all on the line. No risk, no story.

That is what Turning Point really means -- not just the name of an organization, but a decision we face: to die to ourselves and love others daily. It’s a moment when you stop drifting, stop numbing yourself, stop scrolling past the pain of the world, and instead, decide to stand for something and unite our humanity.

The Call

So how do we fight?

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

But we cannot defeat hate with hate, or violence with violence. That is exactly what allows evil to thrive -- for us to tear each other apart, for the enemy to profit from our destruction. As Martin Luther King Jr. taught, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”

So we fight with courage, discipline, conviction -- and love.

Your voice is your weapon -- not to wound, but to defend. Use it with courage even when it costs you. Share it with your family, friends and neighbors. Do not trade your calling for comfort.

Guard your heart and mind. What you consume, consumes you.

Restore fatherhood. Rebuild families. Reunite with your community. Reject fear and hatred; instead choose love, joy, empathy, wisdom, and courage.

Practice civil discourse. Step away from the screens programming your mind. Take care of your body with real food, your mind with prayer and meditation, your spirit with truth. Stay sober, be alert, and practice discipline.

If each of us raised one boy into a better man who live with gratitude, dignity and honor, transformation will follow.

Stop waiting for someone else to save us. Renewal starts with us, when we choose faith over fear. Not in Washington, but in our own hearts -- by turning back to God as a nation, one life at a time, one family at a time.

It starts with us.

Our Comeback Story

This is not the end of America’s story. It can be the beginning of a comeback -- if we reclaim our voices, our courage, and our faith.

It begins within us. Let us commit to being a little more like Charlie, and more importantly to be more like Christ.

If we rise not in violence but in virtue, not in hatred but in honor, then America can heal. Our children will inherit a stronger, freer, and more faithful nation blessed by God.

There is no doubt that Charlie surely heard the words upon entering heaven: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The question is: what will we hear when our time has come?

About the Author

Giovanni Triana is a Charlotte-based entrepreneur with a background in public policy, civic leadership, and grassroots advocacy. He began his work in politics as president of the Turning Point USA chapter at East Carolina University, where he helped lead successful efforts to expand free speech protections on campuses statewide.

He later served as Chief of Staff in ECU’s Student Government Association and was a member of the Student Conduct Board before joining the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in Washington, D.C., where he worked on development, donor strategy, and partnerships with business and government leaders.

Giovanni is the recipient of the 2017 NRA-ILA Youth Leadership Award and graduated from the Koch Fellowship and Koch Associate Programs. He is a 2019 State Policy Network Generation Liberty Fellow.

He is a Board Member at Unity Classical Charter School and has worked in Senator Thom Tillis’s office and on congressional campaigns, and remains active in Charlotte’s civic, education and faith communities.