1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep disappointment and outrage over your decision to order Pennsylvania flags to half-staff in honor of Charlie Kirk. Mr. Kirk spent his public life spreading division, intolerance, and misinformation. Most disturbingly, he repeatedly dismissed the suffering of countless families shattered by gun violence, insisting that their loved ones’ deaths were an acceptable price to pay in defense of unfettered access to the very weapons that ultimately took his own life. To elevate such a figure with the solemn honor of lowered flags is not only misguided but profoundly disrespectful to the victims of gun violence and their grieving communities across our Commonwealth. Flag-lowering is meant to symbolize collective mourning and respect. By extending that honor to a man who showed no compassion for victims of violence and actively contributed to the toxic rhetoric that fuels it, your office sends a troubling message: that the lives of those lost to gunfire matter less than the political posturing of someone who dehumanized them. I urge you to reconsider this decision and, more importantly, to reflect on the message it sends to survivors, victims’ families, and the people of Pennsylvania. Our state deserves leadership that uplifts compassion, justice, and unity—not one that normalizes honoring voices of hate.