WASHINGTON, CMC – Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke says she voted “no” on Friday on a Republican-led resolution honoring slain right-wing advocate Charlie Kirk.
“I will always condemn senseless acts of political violence,” Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) on Friday. “No American, regardless of party or ideology, should fear retribution or violence for speaking freely. Charlie Kirk’s murder was a horrific act of political violence and a stain on the United States, and any nation where young children lose their father solely because of the opinions he espoused is a nation in desperate need of healing and a different path forward.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the Kirk family, friends, and loved ones, and I pray for strength and comfort for his wife, Erika, their two young children, and all who mourn his loss,” added the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). “I also commend law enforcement and the suspect’s family for their cooperation in seeking justice for this heinous crime.
“As a Black woman in America, I am painfully mindful of our nation’s history and the violence rooted in bigotry and hate that continues to impact Black and brown communities,” Clarke continued. “And that is precisely why I cannot in good conscience vote to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s legacy. Mr. Kirk denounced the Civil Rights Act of 1964, describing it as a ‘mistake’ and an ‘anti-white weapon.’
He disparaged the transformative work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life in pursuit of peace and equality. He demeaned Black women, including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and others in positions of leadership, dismissing their intelligence and accomplishments as nothing more than ‘DEI hires.’ He also spread disinformation and hate-fueled rhetoric against Muslim, Jewish, and immigrant communities, while championing lax gun laws despite the devastating toll of gun violence in our nation.”
“Rather than seek to heal a wounded union, this bill aims only to push us further apart,” Clarke said. “For these reasons, I cannot and will not vote to honor a legacy defined by bigotry and division. To do so would dishonor the countless victims of political violence who are too often ignored. If we are to recognize one, we must recognize all.”
She said Kirk undoubtedly valued his right to exercise the First Amendment right to free speech.
“Yet, I am deeply troubled by how this administration has chosen to weaponize free speech, targeting critics under the guise of honoring his legacy,” Clarke said. “Free speech is essential to our democracy—but it cannot be used as a shield for hate.
“If my colleagues feel compelled to pass this legislation, that is their decision,” she added. “I have paid respects to Mr. Kirk and his family, but I will not pretend to respect the painful words and ideas he so proudly held, nor will I honor a man who built a career out of dishonoring people like me. I, however, will instead lend my support to Representative Veasey and Pettersen’s resolution that ‘condemns all forms of political violence, including assassination and attempted assassination of public officials, candidates, and public figures, regardless of political party or ideology.’
“If Republican leadership is serious about addressing this crisis of political violence rather than scoring political points over Democrats, so will they,” Clarke continued.
US House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, on Sept. 10, expressed shock over the murder of conservative activist and close ally of President Donald J. Trump, Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, who founded the right-wing youth activist group Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck on Sept. 10 while addressing an event at Utah Valley University in Orem.
“I am shocked by the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” said Jeffries, who represents the 8th Congressional District that encompasses parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
“Political violence of any kind and against any individual is unacceptable and completely incompatible with American values,” he added. “We pray for his family during this tragedy.”
Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, described Kirk’s killing as “senseless.”
“Today’s shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah was a senseless act of violence,” Bichotte Hermelyn, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn, told CMC. “No matter our politics, we must reject violence.
“In a democracy, disagreement should never lead to death,” she added. “I am horrified by Charlie Kirk’s execution and hold his loved ones in deep sympathy and sorrow.”
In a White House Proclamation, Trump had ordered that “the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, Sept. 14, 2025.
“I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations,” he added.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said, “This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation. “I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination,” he added.
and then 