09/11/2026
WE REMEMBER. WE STAND. WE CARRY THE TORCH.
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Authored by
Michael Leiva
Chairman, Republican Liberty Caucus of Lee County, Florida
Honoring Charlie Kirk, Remembering September 11th, and Defending Liberty for Generations to Come
September is a month that asks America to remember.
It is a time when we reflect upon lives lost, families forever changed, heroes who answered the call and the extraordinary responsibility that falls upon those of us who remain.
This year, that remembrance carries a particular weight.
We mark the first anniversary of the passing of Charlie Kirk; a beloved husband, father, Christian, patriot and fearless defender of Conservative principles. We also mark the 25th anniversary of September 11th, 2001.
A day that forever changed our Republic and left an enduring reminder of the preciousness of freedom.
Though these two moments belong to different chapters of our nation's history, they leave us with a common responsibility.
To remember. To stand. And to carry forward the principles that make our Republic worth defending.
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REMEMBERING CHARLIE KIRK
Charlie Kirk was more than a political activist.
To millions of Americans, he became a voice of courage.
He was willing to stand publicly for the principles he believed were right, even when doing so brought criticism, opposition and personal sacrifice. He understood that the future of our Republic would ultimately depend upon whether ordinary Americans were willing to become extraordinary defenders of liberty.
Charlie believed in God, family, freedom, the Constitution, and America.
He believed that young Americans should be encouraged to know their history, understand their rights, question those in authority and never surrender their God-given liberties simply because someone tells them they should.
He understood that Conservatism is not merely about elections or political parties.
It is about preserving the values and institutions that allow a free people to govern themselves.
It Is About Faith.
It Is About Family.
It Is About Personal Responsibility.
It Is About The Constitution.
And it is about recognizing that the rights we possess come NOT from government, but from our Creator.
That is why Charlie's legacy matters.
His voice may be gone but the principles for which he stood remain very much ALIVE.
And they remain our responsibility.
We honor Charlie not by simply mourning his absence but by continuing the work he believed was worth doing.
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TWENTY FIVE YEARS LATER WE STILL SAY NEVER FORGET
September also brings us to the 25th anniversary of one of the darkest days in modern American history.
On September 11th, 2001; innocent lives were taken, families were shattered and our Republic was reminded that freedom can never be assumed to be permanent.
But when we remember September 11th, we should remember more than the tragedy.
We should remember the courage.
We should remember the firefighters, law enforcement officers, military personnel, first responders and ordinary citizens who demonstrated extraordinary bravery.
We should remember the Americans who reached out to strangers.
We should remember a nation—that for a moment, remembered that we were Americans first.
And we should remember the profound unity that emerged from our grief.
Twenty Five Years Later, We Still Say, Never Forget.
Never Forget The Lives.
Never Forget The Families.
Never Forget The Heroes.
And NEVER forget the responsibility that comes with being the heirs of the greatest constitutional experiment in human history.
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A REPUBLIC REQUIRES CITIZENS WHO CARE
The United States is not simply a place on a map.
It is a Constitutional Republic, a nation founded upon the principle that government derives its legitimate authority from the people and that the rights of the individual are protected by a Constitution established to restrain government power.
That Republic does not preserve itself.
We preserve it!
Every generation receives an inheritance from those who came before.
Our generation has received an extraordinary inheritance. We have received a Constitution, a tradition of liberty, a Republic built upon the principle that our rights come from God and a responsibility to preserve those blessings for those who will follow us.
We Cannot Take That Inheritance For Granted.
We Cannot Expect Someone Else To Defend It.
And we cannot remain silent when the principles that sustain our Republic are challenged.
The Answer Is Not Anger.
The Answer Is Not Hatred.
The answer is courage, conviction, faith, and peaceful civic engagement.
We MUST be willing to stand.
>Stand For God.
>Stand For Country.
>Stand For The Constitution.
>Stand For Our Families.
>Stand For The Unborn.
>Stand For Free Speech.
>Stand For Religious Liberty.
>Stand For The Rule Of Law.
>Stand For Individual Liberty And Personal Responsibility.
And STAND for the proposition that America's future belongs to a free people, not an ever expanding government.
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OUR DUTY TO POSTERITY
Perhaps the greatest lesson we can take from both Charlie Kirk's life and the memory of September 11th is that our lives are part of something much larger than ourselves.
Those who sacrificed on September 11th did not know the names of the people whose lives they would ultimately touch.
The founders who established our Republic could not know the faces of the Americans who would inherit their work.
And Charlie Kirk could not know every young person who would be inspired to become involved in defending the principles he championed.
Yet They Acted.
They stood.
They served.
They sacrificed.
And Now it is OUR TURN.
We are the generation entrusted with the Republic today.
What we do with that responsibility will determine what we leave behind.
Our children deserve to inherit a nation where they can worship God freely.
Where They Can Speak Their Minds Without Fear.
Where Government Remains Accountable To The People.
Where Families Are Respected.
Where Hard Work Is Rewarded.
Where The Constitution Still Means What It Says.
And where liberty remains something more than a word in a history book.
That is the Republic we must work to preserve.
Not only for ourselves
but for posterity today and that of tomorrow.
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WE WILL CARRY THE TORCH
The Republican Liberty Caucus of Lee County believes that defending liberty is not simply a political activity.
It Is A Civic Responsibility.
It Is A Moral Responsibility.
And for many of us, it is a responsibility grounded in our faith in God.
>We believe that our Creator endowed every person with fundamental rights.
>We believe government was established to protect those rights, not to become their source.
>We believe the Constitution is worthy of defending.
>We believe our Republic is worth preserving.
And we believe that Americans who love God and Country must never surrender their voice, their convictions, or their responsibility to future generations.
So this September, let us remember Charlie Kirk.
LET US remember the victims and heroes of September 11th.
LET US remember those who sacrificed so that others could live free.
But let us also look forward.
LET US stand together.
LET US encourage our neighbors.
LET US teach our children.
LET US become involved in our communities.
LET US defend the truth with courage and humility.
LET US live our faith rather than merely speak about it.
And LET US demonstrate through our actions that the American spirit is still alive.
Charlie Kirk believed that the next generation could make a difference.
We believe it too!
And so, as we remember those we have lost, let us make a commitment to those who are still here and those who have yet to come.
We will not surrender our liberty.
We will not abandon our Constitution.
We will not forget our history.
We will not forsake our faith.
And we will not forget our duty to the generations that will inherit this Republic from us.
May God comfort those who continue to grieve.
May God bless the families of those we remember.
May God strengthen those who continue to stand for what is right.
And may God bless this great Republic and the people who call her home.
REMEMBER THE PAST.
STAND FOR THE PRESENT.
DEFEND THE FUTURE.
God First. Country Always. Liberty Forever.
