Gen Zers Will Never Be The Same After Kirk’s Assassination

Doubtlessly, a new age has just begun.

Most of Gen Z was nothing more than a twinkle in their parents’ eyes when 9/11 occurred. They never lived in a version of America without the Transportation Security Administration or looming terrorist threats. They were born into the aftermath, a world filled with warnings. Don’t play outside unsupervised, don’t take candy from strangers, don’t sit on a bus with your headphones on.

Zoomers are well accustomed to a world where safety is the primary concern because threats are always dangling nearby. They were raised in the era of “cancel culture” and closed dialogue. They were told that the best thing they could do was sit on their phones and scroll through social media, self-censoring their own thoughts.

That’s where Charlie Kirk met many young Americans.

For a demographic that was born in a world obsessed with fearmongering, it was a special thing to have someone make a call for truth through open conversation. Even the large nonpolitical segment of this group formed an emotional attachment to Kirk. He often trended, with clips of him going viral on a weekly basis. Teachers didn’t attack Kirk the same way they attacked Trump, because Kirk was not a public official but a personality to be reckoned with. This gave young people space to approach his rhetoric.

These same young people are not going to tolerate the horrific death of someone they came to know and care about. They have spent their entire lives being told that safety is a priority and forced tolerance will give them safety.

Understanding Gen Z

Young people are, by their nature, filled with energy. Many of the Founding Fathers were in their early 20s when they started the American Revolution. The heroes of World War II left their colleges and blooming careers to step up to the line of duty. Today, too, young people are ready for battle.

Older generations often berate Gen Z for having little work ethic, poor social skills, and weird habits. These are fair critiques. Yet, like any generation, Gen Z has an incorruptible human drive. Behind the zombified stares of children who have been tied to technology for their entire childhood lies a group of people with simmering energy, ready to take up the call to serve something greater than themselves.

For some Gen Z kids, they joined the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 or aggressively posted black squares online to show support for that movement to feel a sense of moral superiority. Others returned to churches — church attendance numbers for Gen Z have exploded when compared with preceding generations.

Many of Gen Z are longing to serve a cause that rises above themselves. All humankind wants to leave a legacy and these kids do too. Kirk’s killing is their call to duty.

Much of Gen Z is reserved, indifferent, and accustomed to fear. As children, they were told never to stand tall, but to be comfortable cowering. It’s why violent video games and horror movies seem to have no effect on them. They are numb to terror, they never knew a world without 9/11 or plane hijackings or violent protests.

No Longer Indifferent

What happened in Utah changes things. In an instant, young people lost one of the few outspoken icons who encouraged them to pursue truth. He was murdered in front of their eyes. In the internet age, the death of an online celebrity like Kirk feels like the death of a close friend.

The indifferent young Americans who wanted to stay out of politics have now seen the martyrdom of someone they were endeared to. It was shoved in front of their faces, plastered all over social media so they couldn’t avoid it. The age of indifference has ended. The age of the furious young right has just begun.

There is a difference between the young right and the young left. When the video of George Floyd’s death went viral, there was rioting in the streets. Lootings and shootings and buildings engulfed in flames. The evening of Kirk’s death, there were nationwide prayer vigils. The left is proud to be violent. The right is forced to be furious.

A new generation of free thinkers and defenders of democracy is emerging. There is a grievous silence, but one that leads to a rising class of political activists. Young white men who were told they were inherently racist, sexist bigots will want to use their voice. Young women who were forced into masculine roles and told to suppress their biology will find hope. Athletes will demand to compete against those of the same sex. College kids will question why their tuition is insurmountable. Young families will want to know why they can’t afford homes.

The submissiveness is going away. The kids aren’t alright — they’re furious.

Brooke Brandtjen is a writer and journalist from Wisconsin who focuses primarily on culture, politics, and religion. She is extremely passionate about the arts and history, and is honored to write for a variety of distinguished publications.