by NJ Torres Jacobson

I’m crying today. Still crying.
Over someone I’ve never even met.

Charlie Kirk has been assassinated in Utah—right in front of his wife and kids. Shot. Just like that.
Gone.
And I can’t breathe.

Why am I crying so much over a man I never personally knew?
Because Charlie changed my life. He opened my eyes. He gave me the courage to think critically, to question everything, and most of all—to speak up.

The Last Time I Felt This Heartbroken Over a Stranger…

Was when Matthew Perry died.
I was devastated.
The man who made me laugh when I needed it most (right after Ross 😅) was, deep down, suffering in silence.

And now, this year—it’s Charlie.
A completely different kind of pain.
Because this time, someone was killed not by addiction, not by accident—but by hatred.

I Never Liked Politics. Or Public Speaking.

I’m not someone who talks well on stage—or even on Zoom. I stumble. I get nervous. I might go quiet.

So when I first saw Charlie Kirk in videos, standing in debate halls at liberal universities, calmly defending his ideas with clarity and grace—even when booed, insulted, or shouted at—I felt nothing but admiration.

Wow, this man. He could really talk. Articulate. So sharp. So bold at such a young age.

He never forced his beliefs down your throat.
He didn’t need to.
He explained.
He questioned.
He challenged you to think.
Even if you disagreed with him, you walked away… thinking.

And that’s power. That’s real influence. And that’s what made him dangerous to people who can’t tolerate truth.

From Woke to Awake

I used to think I was a Democrat.
I cheered when Obama won. I was excited when Kamala Harris took office. I really believed in that “hope and change” message—especially growing up in the Philippines, where we rarely saw that kind of representation.

But then the 2020s came… and the Democrat party?
It changed.
Radically. Aggressively. Violently.

Suddenly, it wasn’t about equality or justice anymore—it became about forced ideologies.

Gender confusion being pushed on children. Pronouns turned into political weapons.

I started to feel worried—for my daughter, and for the world she’s growing up in.

Everywhere you look now, being LGBTQ is the main storyline—in Netflix shows, cartoons, even kids’ programs.

And then there’s Disney.
Even the princesses I grew up loving can’t just be their original selves anymore—because now, they “need” to be inclusive.

I get it, representation matters. But sometimes, it just feels forced.

Honestly, I found it a little petty and bothersome that they had to change the original classics just to avoid offending people.

What’s so offensive about having white princesses?
I’m Asian—and I was never offended that Ariel wasn’t Asian.
We have our own princesses, our own stories, our own cultures.
If we want more representation, let’s create new stories.
We don’t need to rewrite or erase what’s already part of history just to feel included.

But that’s just me.

And the point is: there’s already so much for children to learn in school—math, reading, science, values—they don’t need to be confused by lessons about how men can be women and trans men can have babies.

I want my daughter to grow up knowing exactly what it means to be a woman—and to be able to say it out loud without feeling guilty or being told she’s offending someone.

Truth shouldn’t hurt anyone. Biology isn’t hate.

She—we—shouldn’t have to walk on eggshells just to say something that’s always been scientific, natural, and real.

90s kid here. I grew up with a Lola, so yes, we’re old-fashioned.

That’s not raising a kind child—that’s raising a confused one. And I refuse to let this world steal her clarity or her confidence.

And then… what’s up with the drag performers in schools? Naked men in LoveWins parades with kids everywhere? Drag shows in the White House?

What??

In the Philippines, drag queens perform for adults in clubs—not in classrooms for kids.

Then there’s the issue of open borders—millions entering illegally and being given benefits, while people like me, and my family in the U.S., who immigrated legally and went through the long process, are pushed aside.

The glorification of victimhood.
BLM riots.
COVID mandates. People losing their jobs for refusing a vaccine.
Homeowners evicted while illegal tenants are protected.

And the messaging? “Democrats = Good.”
“Republicans = Fascist. Racist. Homophobic. Transphobic. All the -phobics you can name.”

I started to feel it deep down:
Something wasn’t right.
Something felt off. Really off.

Then I Found Charlie Kirk

And Candace Owens. And Matt Walsh. And Blaire White. And Jeffree Star.

Charlie became a big voice for me around the time I started slowly understanding—and eventually supporting—Trump. Yes, the Big Bad Loud Trump.

It wasn’t immediate. It took time.

But I started paying attention when I saw the wave of convictions and charges being thrown at him left and right. I saw interviews of the “rape” victims. The forgotten dates.

Something felt weird.

They felt manufactured.

Like they were trying too hard to silence him, destroy him, erase him.

That’s when I started hearing about all these so-called “conspiracy theories.”

I started watching other news channels—from CNN and MSNBC to Fox News, New York Post, and most importantly: Twitter/X.

Thank you, Elon Musk, for keeping that platform open.

From Media Insider to Media Skeptic

Then I realized something no one ever told me before: Relying on mainstream media is like being scammed.

That one hit hard—because I studied and worked in media and PR for almost two decades.

I know the tactics. I know the behind-the-scenes. I’ve been in the rooms where narratives were shaped.

Back then, I was younger. Career-driven. Focused on climbing the ladder.

And honestly? There was still “humanity” and compassion in the work.
There was fair press, and that’s why I loved my job. It was fun.

But I didn’t realize just how much the messaging was shifting—slowly, subtly—until years later.

Now, with social media exploding and a new generation taking over, it’s gotten worse.
It’s all performative. Shallow. Agenda-driven.

And honestly? It’s scary.

Thank God I’m no longer in PR—because I don’t think I could survive in that environment today.

I’m not trying to generalize—I still have great friends in the press.

But I’ve seen enough to know:
It’s a dirty, dirty world.

I felt lied to. So I started doing my own research. I began listening to the rise of new media—independent podcasters, truth-tellers online.

And wow.

What a difference it makes when you start listening with your eyes open.

Unbelievable what you can learn when you open your mind.
When you stop letting the media think for you.
When you’re smart enough to know what’s right and what’s wrong—because your values, your logic, and your heart can see through the noise.

These weren’t “crazy right-wingers” like the media told us.

They made sense. Common sense.

The party of protecting kids. Protecting faith. Protecting family. Protecting free speech.

Then came the first Trump assassination attempt in 2024.

And I knew—they’re willing to kill anyone who disagrees.

That’s not democracy. That’s tyranny. And that’s when I knew: I am on the right side of history.

Why This Matters to Me Personally

My daughter and husband are Americans—that’s why this hits so close to home.
But even beyond that, deep in my heart I know: this is no longer just about politics.

Some might say it sounds dramatic or overreaching, but I truly believe it—
We are in a global war between good and evil.

This isn’t just about policy debates anymore.
It’s about truth vs. lies.
Faith vs. confusion.
Freedom vs. control.

It’s about something far deeper—
what it means to be human.

I’ll Never Forget What He Stood For

And today—on the day of his death—I saw it. So many left-wing voices online, even some of my own friends, were celebrating. Laughing. Mocking. Dancing on the news of Charlie’s assassination.

As if being murdered wasn’t enough, they still had to defame him, twist his legacy, and paint him as evil:
Fascist. Racist. Bigot.

Like that somehow justifies what happened.
Like speaking your truth should cost you your life.

When did we stop having conversations like adults?
When did disagreeing with someone become a reason to destroy them?

There was a time when, if you didn’t agree with someone, you rebutted their ideas, stated your opinion, and moved on.
If you couldn’t defend your point of view against someone like Charlie—maybe it was time to start questioning your own beliefs.

At least Charlie had the guts to go to campuses, talk to students face-to-face, and debate them.
He put himself out there—in person.
Prove him wrong. Fight him with facts and logic if you think he’s wrong.

But don’t act brave just because you’re hiding behind a keyboard. Because if your opinions only make sense online, and face-to-face you shrink into silence, then maybe you’re just as cowardly as the belief you’re defending.

You don’t have to agree with someone to respect their right to speak.
You don’t have to like someone to show basic humanity.

He might not be a hero to you—
But to many of us, he was.
A father.
A husband.
A brilliant, bold, and effective voice.

If you can’t find it in you to empathize because he supported Trump, or because you disagreed with him politically,
then at least—just be silent.

Why make yourself the bad guy, celebrating someone’s death?

Was he Hitler?
Did he start a war?
Did he kill anyone?

No. He debated. He spoke. He challenged. That’s not evil.

But here’s what hurts even more:

If Charlie had survived, I truly believe he would’ve forgiven you.

The very people who are now mocking him, celebrating his death, twisting his words—

He would’ve prayed for you. He would’ve forgiven you.

He wasn’t Jesus, but that’s the kind of man he was.
He believed in grace. In redemption. In second chances.

And that’s the difference.

That’s why he was dangerous to the people who thrive on bitterness and hate.
Because he didn’t return it.

I don’t like your views either sometimes—but I don’t wish you dead. And if you ever were—I would never celebrate that.

Celebrating someone’s death just because you disagreed with their beliefs?
That’s a line I will never cross.
And if that’s how you choose to react—
Then yes…
we are different.