Kirk’s funeral, JD Vance: ‘Better to die standing up defending the truth’

Glendale (Arizona, USA), 22 September. (LaPresse/AP) – ‘For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand up defending the United States of America and defending the truth than to die on our knees.’ These were the words of US Vice President JD Vance at his funeral. ‘My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero for the United States of America. And he is a martyr of the Christian faith,’ he added. Kirk’s family and friends prayed, and the floors of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals’ home shook to the bass of Christian rock bands. The memorial began with the atmosphere of a megachurch service, then turned into something more like a political rally. One after another, speakers, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed admiration for Kirk’s ability to enter what many conservatives considered the lion’s den to defend the conservative cause: university campuses.