PANAMA CITY — Local Republican leaders are comparing Charlie Kirk to an iconic figure in American history.
In case you missed it, Tho Bishop, chairperson of the Bay County Republican Party, said he believes Kirk is the Martin Luther King Jr. of modern America. Kirk, a conservative influencer and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University.
Members of the local group also are pushing for Government Street in the downtown Panama City area to be renamed to “Charlie Kirk Way.”
Here’s what we know:
Why are Republicans taking this stance?
According to Bishop, both Kirk and King were civil rights leaders of their time who made a national impact before being killed for their beliefs.
“In the modern America, Charlie Kirk stood for those facing oppression,” Bishop said. “He stood for conservative college students who were being silenced. He stood for peaceful, civil discussion at a time when the government was trying to censor it.”
Bishop noted that like King, Kirk “had a national relationship” that extended to “people he never met before in communities he never visited.” Bishop believes that Kirk’s public killing will have a similar effect on the U.S. as that of King.
“Much the same way that we cannot tell the story of America the last 50 years without MLK, we will not be able to tell the story of America for the next 50 years from today without talking about the death of Charlie Kirk.”
What did community members think?
The original story that laid out the comparison made by Bay County Republican leaders was posted to the News Herald’s Facebook page on Sept. 19.
As of about noon on Sept. 22, it had more than 460 comments, about 380 reactions and almost 30 shares.
Though there were people who commented that they agreed with the comparision, many opposed it, with some even calling it “alarming” and a “joke.”
What about Democratic leaders?
In a text message, Laura Bjorklund, chairperson of the Bay County Democratic Executive Committee, wrote that Kirk’s killing was tragic. She also offered her condolences to those mourning him.
“The comparison between him and Martin Luther King is accurate in that they spoke for a movement, were both Christians who loved their families, and were assassinated by a gunman,” Bjorklund wrote. “Their similarities pretty much end there.
“If one of the local governments wants to change the name of a street, they are not going to consult the Democratic Party before they do it. There are, however, plenty of people who live in Bay County who are not Republicans.”
More on Kirk
According to reports from USA Today, tens of thousands of people, including President Donald Trump, attended a memorial service in Kirk’s honor on Sept. 21 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
There, Trump said Kirk will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
His shooting happened as Kirk was starting his “The American Comeback Tour,” a nationwide tour of college debates.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Did you miss it?: Bay Republicans compare Charlie Kirk to this figure in American history
Reporting by Nathan Cobb, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
