1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose any proposal to name a highway after Charlie Kirk. Public infrastructure should honor individuals who brought communities together and advanced the common good, not those whose public record is defined by divisive rhetoric and the promotion of hatred. Highway naming represents a permanent endorsement by our state, using taxpayer resources to memorialize an individual for generations. This honor should be reserved for those who exemplified the values we want to pass on to our children: respect, inclusion, and service to all constituents regardless of their background or beliefs. Charlie Kirk's public career has been marked by inflammatory statements and the deliberate stoking of division. Naming a highway after him would send a clear message about what our state values, and that message would be one of exclusion rather than unity. Our public spaces should reflect our highest aspirations, not reward those who built platforms on antagonism. I understand that highway naming decisions often come from well-intentioned supporters, but we must consider the broader impact on our community. Many of your constituents, including myself, would feel alienated and unwelcome every time we drove past a monument to someone whose rhetoric targeted and demeaned people like us. Our state has many deserving individuals whose contributions genuinely improved lives and brought people together. I urge you to oppose this proposal and instead support naming our public infrastructure after leaders who represented the best of our shared values rather than the worst of our divisions. I respectfully request that you publicly state your opposition to this highway naming proposal and work with your colleagues to ensure it does not move forward.