The founder of Turning Point USA was fatally shot by a sniper while speaking at Utah Valley University. Authorities are investigating the killing as a politically motivated assassination. For years, Kirk warned that escalating antisemitism spreading across campuses was not simply about free expression. His death tragically proves the point: Rhetoric has turned lethal.
New data from FIRE shows just how dangerous this moment has become. According to their latest survey, one-third of Stanford students now say violence is justifiable to stop speech they dislike. These are the young students who will soon lead our institutions. When campuses normalize rhetoric that demonizes and legitimizes harm toward Jews and supporters of Israel, they teach students to see violence as acceptable political action.
For months, we’ve been told that chants echoing through quads are merely symbolic. But phrases like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” are calls for Israel’s destruction, the eradication of its Jewish population, and the murder of Jewish Zionists globally. When Jewish students hear these words, they understand the message: You do not belong here, and you are not safe.
One of the most chilling examples is Unity of Fields, a group that was welcomed to the Sarah Lawrence College campus. Unity of Fields is not a peaceful protest organization. It is a radical direct-action network that trains students in violent tactics. Earlier this year, its members stormed Columbia University’s library, distributing pamphlets glorifying terrorists. Two campus safety officers were injured, and nearly 80 people were arrested.
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