Condemn the Honoring of a Purveyor of Hate

I am writing to express my profound disappointment and outrage at your decision to lower Commonwealth flags to half-staff in memory of Charlie Kirk. While we should always condemn violence, bestowing one of the Commonwealth's highest honors on a individual who consistently trafficked in hate speech against women, the LGBTQ+ community, and others is a deep affront to our values. To do so on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, a day dedicated to unifying national remembrance, compounds the insult to the memories of those we lost. This action signals that the Commonwealth endorses the divisive and harmful rhetoric Mr. Kirk promoted. I urge you to reconsider this gesture and to reserve such honors for those who build up our communities, not those who sought to tear them down.