After Charlie Kirk assassination, vigil calls for unity
As they do each Saturday, members of the Democratic Women of Fayette County ringed the sidewalks around the George C. Marshall Memorial Plaza in Uniontown, holding signs in an act of persuasion.
But instead of political or policy goals, Saturday’s message had a simpler aim, though one much harder to pull off: unity.
The group held a two-hour vigil at the plaza, inviting guest speakers and carrying signs like “Peace Brings the World Together.”
“Even though Charlie Kirk and I probably would never agree on any topic, he didn’t need to die, just speaking how he felt,” said Tracy Wilson, president of the Democratic Women of Fayette County.
It had been a rough couple of weeks, both nationally and locally, Wilson said. Kirk’s death coincided with a school shooting in Colorado. And Fayette County residents were anguished over high-profile child abuse cases, including the death of 9-year-old Renesmay Eutsey.
“We just thought it was the best thing to do, instead of doing an actual protest this week, just to put it out as a unity event,” Wilson said. “And we did invite people on all sides, just to bring the community together, because the hate has to stop.”
It’s been fueled in recent years by social media feeds that have prioritized divisive content that keeps people scrolling, said John Schoener, a candidate for Uniontown City Council. While that’s enriched a handful of tech moguls, it’s had a corrosive effect on society, he said. His solution: “Turn off the algorithm” and focus on your real-world community.
“We are the only ones who are going to defuse this,” he said. “So we need to talk to our neighbors. We need to rebuild trust. We need to just talk to people — know your neighbor, find out what their needs are.”
Saturday’s demonstrators echoed the calls for unity.
Even when people are politically divided, they should still be able to come together as people, said Derek Beucher of Vanderbilt.
“It’s hard because we’re ingrained to choose sides and be in groups, but that doesn’t mean it defines who we are as people, as neighbors, as citizens,” he said. “We define ourselves by our actions, our words, how we feel about each other in general.”
Saturday’s vigil drew about 15 people, fewer than usual. Wilson said some people had stayed away out of caution because they were worried about the potential for reprisal from people who blamed the left for Kirk’s death.
“I get it, because usually I bring a grandkid along somewhere,” she said. “I was like, ‘Not today, guys.'”
Those worries nearly kept Vanderbilt Borough Council member Sheila Kurtz from coming. Ultimately, she said, it was important to come out in support for peace.
“I thought, ‘God will be with us,'” she said. “We don’t have as big a crowd, but we’re doing a good job.”