Ocala and Marion County officials plan to proclaim October 14 as a day of remembrance for Charlie Kirk, citing the late activist’s advancement of “ideas and principles that inspired others to be engaged citizens and to participate in the future of their communities and nation.”
The proclamations will come before the Marion County Board of County Commissioners and the Ocala City Council during their upcoming meetings on Tuesday.
On September 18, the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed resolutions recognizing a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. That day, October 14, was the late activist’s birthday.
The county’s proclamation states that the Kirk was a “steadfast advocate for the founding principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.”
It further states that Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded in 2012, has “inspired millions of students to become actively involved in the future of their country through civic education and engagement.”
“Charlie Kirk believed in the importance of respectful dialogue, the protection of free speech, and the creation of safe environments where differing opinions could be shared without fear of harassment or violence,” reads the proclamation.
The document goes on to cite Kirk’s assassination as a “powerful reminder of the fragility of our democracy” and the necessity of civil disclosure.
Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10. A husband and father of two, Kirk’s wife, Erika, and young children were in attendance at the event where he was fatally shot.
“Charlie Kirk will be remembered for his dedication to faith, family, and country, and his belief that ideas, freely exchanged, have the power to create positive change, leaving a legacy that calls on us to carry forward the values that strengthen our nation,” reads the proclamation.
Days after Kirk was assassinated, individuals gathered in downtown Ocala to memorialize the man and offer statements about his life and prayers to his family.
The following week, just ten days after his death, hundreds of people gathered at the Historic Square in downtown Ocala for a prayer vigil.
In the days leading up to the prayer vigil, Ocala-News.com was the only local news source to share news of the event.
The county’s proclamation concludes with a statement encouraging all citizens to reflect on Kirk’s legacy “of promoting freedom, civil disclosure, and the importance of civic engagement.”
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners and Ocala City Council next meet on Tuesday, October 7.
The MCBCC meets at the McPherson Governmental Complex (601 SE 25th Avenue) at 9 a.m. and the OCC meets at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue) at 4 p.m.