Charlie Kirk was a lightning rod ... of energy for the conservative base at the younger demographic the GOP sorely needed help with ... of controversy for those he targeted with his rhetoric ... and now, his assassination has exposed deep rifts within our society, empathetically, morally, politically and religiously.

I, myself, didn't have a cogent response to share with anyone - for hours Wednesday afternoon.

What I knew before he was killed hasn't changed much: he was anti-gay, vehemently anti-trans, some might argue antisemitic and made several insulting statements about black people (does that make him a racist or was he just tone deaf? I'll let others decide).

I found myself watching as those on the right hailed him as being a wonderful young man (to whom?) and devout Christian (but is Christianity comfortable with his representation of their faith, with his rhetoric?) while the rest of the American spectrum mostly coalesced around the prevailing thought: no one should lose their life exercising their First Amendment right.

Now, for me, it's ironic this occurred in Utah, an open carry haven where someone with a hunting rifle visible in their vehicle on the college campus parking lot elicits no reaction. Charlie did, infamously say "I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights."

Then there's this: how he was assassinated and that no suspect has been found gives me reason to suspect an outside influence.