​One year ago today, a shot rang out in Orem, Utah, on the campus of Utah Valley University. Hundreds of students flocked to campus to watch Charlie Kirk spar with opponents, and instead got a front-row seat to one of the more graphic assassinations recorded.

A father was taken from his young children, a husband taken from his wife, and a political titan taken from our movement. At the time, this event hit home to millions. We were motivated to carry on Charlie’s legacy, and we were appalled at the current state of the left who resorted to violence while celebrating.

As a year has passed, this monumental moment has been hijacked by grifters and leftists to vilify a widow and tarnish the legacy of Charlie. As we analyze who is responsible for this shift, let’s be clear about their goal. They seek to bury Charlie’s movement and declare victory over him.

If these evildoers can murder an innocent man in cold blood simply because of his traditional Christian views, and then dance on his grave as his memory fades away, Charlie’s mission would be in vain. This will not happen. Gen-Z conservatives will not allow it, even if it seems as though they’re winning.

First, let’s set the record straight on why Charlie was murdered. Charlie’s life was taken from him solely because he spoke the truth. He preached the Gospel. He stood firm against radical wokeism, but most importantly, he did it respectfully.

Even though the left will say otherwise, he gave his opponents a microphone and an opportunity to present their views. Is this how a fascist acts? On the contrary, the real fascist is Tyler Robinson, who shot Charlie simply because he disagreed with him. “Hey fascist, catch!” on the bullet casings was mere projection by a sick individual.

The takeaway from Charlie’s death is this: Charlie’s belief in Christ and exercise of his First Amendment right was too much for a radical leftist to handle; therefore, he shot him in the throat. However, the narrative has changed.

Candace Owens is chief among those who are responsible for letting the left off the hook and completely taking the wind out of the sails of the conservative movement, all in the name of greed. For someone who claimed to be so close to Charlie, she has propped herself up on his grave in such a vicious and evil manner.

At first, it was in the name of “avenging Charlie” while attacking his wife and everyone he was closest to. Now, even that facade has faded. Despite her profound lack of evidence to back her countless claims surrounding Egyptian planes, Israel and Erika Kirk’s involvement, she continues down the path of sabotaging Charlie’s own organization simply to rake in cash.

Her podcast soared to the top of the charts in the months after his death as she garnered thousands of supporters to attack Charlie’s widow. Candace Owens is a narcissist. She cares only about herself and took advantage of Charlie’s assassination to direct attention away from him and solely upon her.

The primary beneficiary of Candace’s tirade is the same group who took Charlie’s life. The radical left. Just a couple of weeks ago, leftist streamer Hasan Piker mocked Charlie in front of his supporters with glee. The same Hasan Piker who debated Charlie and met him several times had no remorse over his death, while his supporters laughed. You can thank the tremendous work of those like Candace Owens for this.

In the immediate aftermath of Charlie’s death, we were all united. It was a wake-up call to how extreme and violent our opponent had become. We were solely focused on defeating them politically, and doing so quickly. However, that momentum and unification were blunted by a constant barrage of conspiracy theories and mocking of Erika. Charlie then became a meme on social media, with his face being plastered on every post imaginable.

Songs were used to mock him and his cause, and the left has been given new life. They no longer have to face the consequences of their actions; they’ve been given free air cover to dance on his grave. But hey, at least the conspiracy podcasters are making dough.

This may all seem devastating. By the current landscape, one would think that Charlie’s life and death were in vain. Has he been forgotten? Has his cause been squandered? I would answer with a resounding no. Young conservatives remember. We remember how we felt on that day, and we will not forget. We might be quieter, but we will not let them win.

We know that Charlie’s faith is what got him killed. This was an attack on everything we hold so dear, by those who hate us. Psalm 37:13 says, ”The Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.” We will march forward and proclaim the Gospel just as Charlie did. We’ll stand firm against radical leftists seeking to silence us, and we will not be scared. Charlie’s reward is in heaven. As for those of us who seek to carry Charlie’s mission forward, we’ve got a lot of work to do