Dear Substack family,
Like many of you, I've been reeling since Wednesday, September 10, when the unthinkable happened: Charlie Kirk, the fearless founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated in cold blood while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
A single shot from a rooftop, 142 yards away, struck him in the neck during an event attended by thousands of young conservatives who looked to him as a beacon of unapologetic truth-telling. At the time of this writing, authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a suspect whose family turned him in after he confessed his opposition to Kirk's views.
President Trump has called for the death penalty, flags are at half-staff nationwide, and the nation mourns a man who dedicated his life to amplifying conservative voices on campuses and beyond.
Charlie wasn't just a commentator; he was a warrior for free speech, a mentor to a generation, and a reminder that ideas – even the ones that make the establishment squirm – are worth defending with everything we've got. His death has sparked outrage, vigils, and yes, even shameful celebrations from corners of the left that prove just how fragile some egos are when faced with dissenting thought.
It's a stark warning: In a world where rhetoric is weaponized and violence lurks, the mob's baying hounds will silence anyone who dares to speak out against their narrative.
In the immediate wake of this tragedy, I have to be honest – I didn't feel like doing music. At all. The shock hit like a gut punch. How do you pick up a guitar or scribble lyrics when a voice like Charlie's has been snuffed out? The air felt too heavy, the words too hollow. I scrolled through the graphic videos circulating online (now behind warnings on most platforms), read the twisted posts gloating over his death, and wondered if any song could pierce that darkness.
But then it hit me, clear as one of Charlie's rallying cries: He wouldn't want us to go quiet. Charlie built Turning Point USA to get loud – to flood campuses with debates, to arm young people with facts, to ensure conservative ideas roared louder than the echo chamber trying to drown them out. If there's one thing his life (and now his martyrdom) demands, it's that we all turn up the volume right now. We can't let the assassins – literal or figurative – win by making us retreat into silence.
That's why I sat down and wrote this. It's a song called "You Can't Silence Us" – an anthem born from grief but fueled by defiance. No, it doesn't name names or relive the horror; it's broader than that, a call to every one of us who's ever been shouted down, shadow-banned, or threatened for speaking our minds. It's for Charlie, for you, for the fight that doesn't end with one bullet. Imagine it with a driving strum building to a full-band chorus – the kind of track you'd blast at a rally or share in a group chat to steel your resolve.
This isn't just a song; it's a promise. Charlie Kirk's assassination should light a fire under us all – not for vengeance, but for vigilance. Utah Governor Spencer Cox called it a "political assassination" that strikes at the foundation of our democracy, and he's right. In the days ahead, as the investigation unfolds and the rhetoric heats up (with even CBS hosts like Nate Burleson facing backlash for pinning it on GOP "rhetoric"),let's channel that energy into action.
Attend a Turning Point event. Start a campus chapter. Share this song on X, TikTok, wherever the censors lurk.
Charlie wanted us loud. Let's give him – and ourselves – that gift.
In solidarity and with volume cranked,
William A. Ferguson
P.S. If you're moved, drop a comment below: What's your way of getting loud right now? And if you record a cover of this, tag me – I'd love to amplify it.
If you wish to download this song, consider stopping in to Buy Me A Coffee. Any amount is appreciated, and 15% of the proceeds will be donated to Carrot Cottage Rabbit Rescue - so give generously!
P.P.S. Someone get this in front of Megyn Kelly!
