What happened in South Carolina this week should make every American stop and think. A high school teacher, Wynne Boliek, is no longer employed after posting a hateful comment online. He said that “America became greater” after the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. That kind of language is not only cruel—it’s dangerous, especially coming from someone trusted to teach kids.
Let’s be clear: no one should celebrate the death of another person. That’s not what America is about. Our nation was built on the idea that life is sacred and that each person has the right to speak freely without fearing violence or death. When someone is murdered for their political beliefs, it’s an attack not just on them—but on all of us and on the freedoms we hold dear.
Charlie Kirk was exercising his First Amendment rights when he was shot. He was speaking at Utah Valley University, sharing his views—something protected by the Constitution. Whether you agreed with him or not, he had the right to speak. That’s the American way. And when someone uses violence to silence another, it cuts at the heart of our republic.
But what’s worse is when people—especially those in positions of authority—cheer it on. Boliek didn’t just make a political statement. He celebrated a man’s death. That is not free speech. That is hatred. And when a teacher says something like that, it’s even more serious. Teachers shape young minds. They are role models. If they teach children that political violence is something to cheer, then we are raising a generation that will not understand liberty, respect, or civility.
Thankfully, the school district saw this clearly. Greenville County Schools said Boliek’s comment did not meet their standards and that he is no longer employed. That is the right decision. Free speech protects your right to speak, but it does not protect you from the consequences of your speech—especially when it reveals a deep disrespect for human life and a willingness to glorify violence.
Members of Congress, like Rep. Nancy Mace and Rep. William Timmons, also responded with strong words. They called out the teacher’s actions and demanded accountability. They were right to do so. In times like these, we need leaders who will defend what is right and stand up for the values that made this country great—life, liberty, and the rule of law.
We must also look at the bigger picture. Political violence is becoming more common, and that is a threat to our republic. We disagree in America. That’s normal. But we settle our differences with debate, not bullets. We vote. We speak. We write. That’s what the Founders gave us when they wrote the Constitution.
John Adams once said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” That means our freedoms only work if we respect one another—even when we disagree. When teachers, politicians, or anyone else begin to celebrate murder, we lose the moral foundation that holds our nation together.
The FBI is now looking for a person of interest in the killing of Charlie Kirk. Let us pray for justice. And let us also pray that this tragedy wakes people up. Our country must return to respect for life, law, and liberty. Political speech is not a crime. Violence is.
In the end, America doesn’t become “greater” when someone dies. America becomes greater when we live out the values of our Constitution: freedom, equality under the law, and respect for every human life. That’s the America we must fight to preserve.
